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THE  BIBLE  FOR  HOME  AND  SCHOOL 
SHAILER  MATHEWS,  General  Editor 

PROFESSOR  OF   HISTORICAL  AND   COMPARATIVE  THEOLOGY 
THE   UNIVERSITY   OF  CHICAGO 


THE   BOOKS   OF  AMOS,   HOSEA 
AND   MICAH 

JOHN   MERLIN    POWIS   SMITH 


THE  BIBLE    FOR   HOME    AND    SCHOOL 

SHAILER   MATHEWS,  General  Editor 

GENESIS 

By  Professor  H.  G.  Mitchell 

DEUTERONOMY 

By  Professor  W.  G.  Jordan 

JUDGES 

By  Professor  Edward  L.  Curtis 

JOB 

By  Professor  George  A.  Barton 

ISAIAH 

By  Professor  John  E.  McFadyen 

AMOS,    ROSEA,   AND   MICAH 

By  Professor  J.  M.  Powis  Smith 

MATTHEW 

By  Professor  A.  T.  Robertson 

ACTS 

By  Professor  George  H.  Gilbert 

GALATIANS 

By  Professor  B.  W.  Bacon 

EPHESIANS  AND   COLOSSI ANS 

By  Reverend  Gross  Alexander 

HEBREWS 

By  Professor  E.  J.  Goodspeed 

VOLUMES  IN  PREPARATION 

I   SAMUEL 

By  Professor  L.  W.  Batten 

PSALMS 

By  Reverend  J.  P.  Peters 

MARK 

By  Professor  M.  W.  Jacobus 

JOHN 

By  Professor  Shailer  Mathews 

ROMANS 

By  Professor  E.  I.  Bosworth 

I  AND   II   CORINTHIANS 

By  Professor  J.  S.  Riggs 

THE  BIBLE  FOR  HOME  AND  SCHOOL 


A  COMMENTARY  ON  THE  BOOKS 

OF  « 

AMOS.  HOSEA,  AND  MICAH 


BY 
JOHN  MERLIN  POWIS  SMITH,  Ph.D. 

ASSOCIATE  PROFESSOR  OF   SEMITIC  LANGUAGES  AND 
LITERATURES,  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 
1914 

All  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1914, 
By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  February,  1914. 


The  references  in  the  foot-notes  marked  "  SV"  are  to  the  American  Standard 
Edition  of  the  Revised  Bible.    Copyright,  1901,  by  Thomas  Nelson  &  Sons. 

By  permission  of  the  Publishers. 


J.  S,  Gushing  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  Co, 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


GENERAL    INTRODUCTION 

The  Bible  for  Home  and  School  is  intended  to  place 
the  results  of  the  best  modern  biblical  scholarship  at  the 
disposal  of  the  general  reader.  It  does  not  seek  to  dupli- 
cate other  commentaries  to  which  the  student  must  turn. 
Its  chief  characteristics  are  {a)  its  rigid  exclusion  of  all 
processes,  both  critical  and  exegetical,  from  its  notes ; 
{b)  its  presupposition  and  its  use  of  the  assured  results 
of  historical  investigation  and  criticism  wherever  such 
results  throw  light  on  the  biblical  text;  (c)  its  running 
analysis  both  in  text  and  comment;  {d)  its  brief  explana- 
tory notes  adapted  to  the  rapid  reader ;  {e)  its  thorough 
but  brief  Introductions  ;  (/)  its  use  of  the  Revised  Version 
of  1 88 1,  supplemented  with  all  important  renderings  in 
other  versions. 

Biblical  science  has  progressed  rapidly  during  the  past 
few  years,  but  the  reader  still  lacks  a  brief,  comprehensive 
commentary  that  shall  extend  to  him  in  usable  form  mate- 
rial now  at  the  disposition  of  the  student.  It  is  hoped 
that  in  this  series  the  needs  of  intelligent  Sunday  School 
teachers  have  been  met,  as  well  as  those  of  clergymen 
and  lay  readers,  and  that  in  scope,  purpose,  and  loyalty 
to  the  Scriptures  as  a  foundation  of  Christian  thought  and 
life,  its  volumes  will  stimulate  the  intelligent  use  of  the 
Bible  in  the  home  and  the  school. 

SHAILER  MATHEWS. 


CONTENTS 

PAGB 

Introduction  to  Amos 1-14 

I.  The  Book  of  Amos i 

II.  The  Times  of  Amos 4 

III.  The  Man  and  his  Message 7 

IV.  Recent  Literature  on  Amos 12 

The  More  Important  Abbreviations    .         .         .         -13 

Text  and  Commentary  on  Amos i5~^^ 

Introduction  to  Hosea 69-86 

I.  The  Book  of  Hosea     .....••       7^ 
II.  The  Times  of  Hosea 75 

III.  The  Man 77 

IV.  The  Message  of  Hosea ^3 

V.   Literature  on  Hosea    ....«••       85 

Text  and  Commentary  on  Hosea  .....  87-154 

Introduction  to  Micah i55~'70 

I.  The  Book  of  Micah     ....••  ^57 

II.   The  Prophet  Micah '59 

III.  The  Times  of  Micah i6l 

IV.  The  Message  of  Micah 165 

V.   Literature  on  Micah ^^9 

Text  and  Commentary  on  Micah          ....     1 71-21 1 
Index •       •     213-216 


A  COMMENTARY   ON  THE  BOOK   OF 
AMOS 


INTRODUCTION 
I.  The  Book  of  Amos 

I.    CONTENTS 

The  Book  of  Amos,  as  it  now  stands,  falls  into  the 
following  divisions : 

I.  The  Superscription  (i :  i),  stating  the  authorship, 
subject,  and  date  of  the  book ; 

II.  The  Theme  of  the  Prophecy  (1:2); 

III.  Jehovah's  Purpose  to  smite  the  Neighbors  of 
Israel  and  Israel  itself  (i :  3-2  :  16),  being  a  series  of  oracles 
against  Damascus,  Moab,  etc. ; 

IV.  The  Sin  of  Samaria  and  her  Judgment  (3  :  1-4 :  3), 
including  a  justification  of  the  prophet's  message,  a  state- 
ment of  Samaria's  incredible  wickedness  and  of  her  sur- 
passing splendor  and  luxury,  and  a  denunciation  of  the 
sensualistic  women ; 

V.  Israel's  Failure  to  learn  from  her  Experience 
(4 : 4-13) ; 

VI.  The  Doom  of  Israel  and  the  Way  of  Escape 
(5 :  1-17),  containing  a  dirge  upon  Israel,  a  call  to  repent- 
ance, and  a  picture  of  the  coming  grief ; 

VII.  The  Doom  of  Exile  (5  :  18-27) ; 

VIII.  The  Punishment  of  the  Heedless  Rich  (6 :  1-7) ; 

IX.  The  Desolation  of  Samaria  (6  :  8-14) ; 

X.  Three  Visions  of  Approaching  Judgment  (7 :  1-9), 
one  as  devouring  locusts,  a  second  as  devastating  drought, 
and  the  third  as  a  plumb-line  used  for  destruction ; 

XL  A  Historical  Interlude  (7  :  10-17),  being  an  account 
of  Amos's  preaching  at  Bethel ; 


INTRODUCTION 


XII.  A  Fourth  Vision  (8 :  1-3)  depicting  Israel's  End ; 

XIII.  The  Sins  of  Israel  and  their  Penalty  (8 :  4-14) ; 

XIV.  A  Final  Vision  of  Inevitable  Ruin  (9 :  1-4) ; 

XV.  A  Eulogy  upon  Jehovah's  Power  (9  :  5-6) ; 

XVI.  Israel  without  Special  Privileges  from  Jehovah 
(9 :  7-10) ; 

XVII.  The  Glorious  Future  of  Israel  (9: 11-15). 

2.     UNITY 

The  Book  of  Amos  has  suffered  little  at  the  hands  of 
editors.  The  following  passages,  for  reasons  stated  in 
the  commentary  in  each  case,  are  regarded  as  of  later 
origin  than  the  days  of  Amos.  They  reflect  the  histori- 
cal conditions  and  the  opinions  of  later  times,  viz.  i :  2, 
The  Theme  of  the  Book ;  i :  9-10,  The  Oracle  against 
Tyre;  1:11-12,  Oracle  against  Edom;  2:4-5,  Oracle 
against  Judah;  4:12-13  and  5:8-9  and  9:5-6,  Dox- 
ologies,  setting  forth  the  power  of  God ;  6 :  9-10,  detailed 
expansion  of  the  description  of  the  disease- smitten  com- 
munity ;  9 :  8-15,  a  modification  of  the  foregoing  judgment 
and  a  promise  for  the  days  to  come. 

With  the  exception  of  the  last  addition  (9:8b-i5), 
these  supplementary  materials  do  not  essentially  affect 
the  thought  of  the  prophecy  of  Amos.  It  has  come  down 
as  little  stained  by  the  hands  that  have  transmitted  it 
as  any  book  of  the  Old  Testament.  It  may,  indeed,  well 
be  that  the  materials  in  the  book  are  not  now  arranged 
in  the  order  of  their  original  utterance  and  that  the 
visions  of  chaps.  7-9  chronologically  preceded  the  addresses 
of  chaps.  1-6;  but  even  so,  little  is  lost  by  the  change, 
for  there  is  but  little  development  in  the  thought  of  the 
prophet  from  first  to  last.  Amos  came  to  the  front,  ap- 
parently, with  his  message  clearly  formulated  in  his  own 


INTRODUCTION 


mind  and  found  no  need  to  change  it  afterwards  to  any 
serious  extent. 

3.    TEXT 

The  text  of  the  Book  of  Amos  is  one  of  the  best  pre- 
served in  the  Old  Testament.  There  are  very  few  pas- 
sages where  the  testimony  of  the  versions  and  the  obscurity 
of  the  Hebrew  compel  us  to  suppose  a  corruption  of  the 
text.  The  more  noticeable  corruptions  are  confined  to 
the  following  verses:  viz.  i :  11,  15;  2:7;  4:3,  9; 
5  :  26;  6: 1,  2,  12. 

4.    LITERARY  STYLE 

The  style  of  Amos  is  vigorous  and  effective.  The 
simplicity  and  directness  of  his  speech  are  notable.  The 
presentation  of  his  thought  is  always  straightforward  and 
clear.  His  figurative  and  illustrative  material  is  largely 
drawn  from  outdoor  life.  The  sounds  that  greeted  his 
ears  every  day  are  again  and  again  echoed  in  his  utter- 
ances. Lions  roar,  birds  flutter,  bears  growl,  serpents 
hiss,  locusts  swarm,  cattle  low,  wagons  rattle,  and  horses 
prance  in  his  pages.  His  language  is  vivid,  concrete, 
and  picturesque.  It  is  poetry,  in  short,  not  prose,  that  he 
writes.  The  poetic  quality  of  his  oracles  is  given  a  fitting 
poetic  dress.  Parallelism,  the  well-known  characteristic 
of  Hebrew  poetry,  meets  us  everywhere.  Not  only  so, 
but  to  a  large  extent  his  poetry  falls  into  regular  strophes, 
particularly  in  such  passages  as  1:3-2:8  and  4:4-11, 
with  their  repetition  of  lines  and  refrains.  In  5:1  &.., 
use  is  made  of  the  familiar  elegiac  rhythm,  to  bewail  the 
fall  of  Israel.  Boldness  and  strength,  producing  a  cer- 
tain t3^e  of  grandeur,  are  characteristic  of  the  poetry  of 
Amos.  He  cares  nothing  for  beauty  for  its  own  sake,  and 
grace  is  only  an  incidental  accompaniment  of  effective 

3 


INTRODUCTION 


strength.     He  is  too  tremendously  in  earnest  to  spend 
time  upon  delicacy  and  finesse. 

II.  The  Times  of  Amos 

I.    DATE 

The  date  of  the  prophetic  activity  of  Amos  can  be  deter- 
mined with  a  fair  degree  of  definiteness.  According  to 
7 :  lo  f .  he  was  a  contemporary  of  Jeroboam  II,  who 
reigned  from  783  to  743  B.C.  The  superscription  (i :  i) 
adds  nothing  to  this  information,  since  Jeroboam  and 
Uzziah  were  contemporaries  for  some  time,  and  the  earth- 
quake there  mentioned  cannot  be  dated.  If  8 : 9  reflects 
a  recent  eclipse,  such  an  event  is  known  to  have  occurred 
in  763  B.C.  The  conquest  of  Gath  by  Uzziah  (2  Chron. 
26 :  6)  seems  to  be  presupposed  in  6 :  2.  The  downfall  of 
Hamath  (6 :  2)  cannot  be  definitely  placed,  but  may  have 
occurred  in  connection  with  the  campaigns  under  Adad- 
nirari,  Shalmaneser,  and  Ashurdan,  who  repeatedly  operated 
in  northern  and  central  Syria,  between  the  years  806  and 
765  B.C.  The  silence  of  Amos  regarding  the  rise  of  Tiglath- 
pileser,  from  745  B.C.  on,  and  concerning  the  tribute  paid 
to  Assyria  in  738  and  the  deportation  of  734,  seems  to 
indicate  clearly  that  his  work  was  done  before  these  stir- 
ring events  took  place.  He  is,  consequently,  generally 
placed  in  the  period  between  765  and  750  B.C. 

2.    HISTORICAL   SITUATION 

This  date  is  supported  by  the  fact  of  the  vagueness  of 
Amos's  references  to  the  agent,  through  whom  Jehovah's 
wrath  is  to  be  executed  upon  Israel ;  cf .  3  :  1 1 ;  4 :  2  f . ; 
5:27;  6:  14;  7:11,17.  The  reason  for  this  vagueness 
lies  in  the  uncertainty  of  the  historical  situation  of  that 

4 


INTRODUCTION 


time.  At  the  death  of  Adad-nirari  of  Assyria,  in  783  B.C., 
the  Assyrian  Empire  entered  upon  a  struggle  for  life. 
Between  783  and  773  B.C.,  Shalmaneser  headed  six  cam- 
paigns against  the  kingdom  of  Urartu,  which  lay  to  the 
north  of  Assyria,  in  the  region  above  Lake  Van.  In  the 
course  of  this  struggle,  the  foe  on  one  occasion  pressed 
down  to  within  a  few  days'  journey  of  Nineveh.  The 
Syrian  states  farther  west,  who  had  leagued  together 
against  Assyria  in  854  B.C.  and  again  in  849  and  846, 
and  had  been  harassed  by  her  armies  in  almost  each 
successive  year  from  843  to  828  B.C.  and  again  from  806 
to  797  B.C.,  were  naturally  vitally  interested  in  the  prog- 
ress of  the  contest  between  Assyria  and  Urartu  and  cast 
in  their  lot  with  Urartu  against  Assyria.  Hence,  after 
repelling  Urartu,  Shalmaneser  pushed  west  in  773  and 
attacked  Damascus.  His  successors,  Ashurdan  and  Ashur- 
nirari  campaigned  against  Hadrach  in  central  Syria  in  772 
and  765  B.C.  and  defended  Arpad  against  the  Chaldi  of 
Urartu  in  754  B.C.  This  was  the  last  flicker  of  Assyrian 
power  in  the  West  until  the  accession  of  Tiglath-pileser 
in  745  B.C.  These  were  days  of  waning  power  in  Assyria, 
and  the  future  of  the  western  lands  was  by  no  means 
clearly  recognizable.  Would  Assyria  revive  and  reassert 
her  old-time  power?  Or  would  the  peoples  of  Urartu 
succeed  in  displacing  her  power  by  their  own  ?  Amos  did 
not  undertake  to  answer  this  question  for  his  contempo- 
raries. He  is  content  to  indicate  the  north  as  the  direction 
whence  destruction  is  coming  upon  the  states  of  Syria  and 
Palestine. 

During  this  same  period,  the  reign  of  Jeroboam  II, 
Israel  was  enjoying  a  prosperity  that  had  not  been  equalled 
since  the  reign  of  Solomon.  Egypt  was  powerless  to 
trouble  her,  the  last  days  of  the  2 2d  Dynasty  being  marked 

5 


INTRODUCTION 


by  internal  conflicts  and  schisms  that  consumed  all  her 
energy.  As  a  result  of  the  Assyrian  campaigns  in  the 
West,  under  Shalmaneser  (859-825  b.c.)  and  Adad- 
nirari  (812-783  B.C.),  Syria,  the  old  enemy  of  Israel,  who 
had  reduced  her  to  a  pitiable  state  in  the  reigns  of  Jehu 
(2  Kings  10:32)  and  Jehoahaz  (2  Kings  13:7),  had 
herself  been  rendered  powerless  and  incapable  of  further 
molesting  her  southern  neighbor.  Jeroboam  indeed,  follow- 
ing up  the  successes  of  Joash  (2  Kings  13:  25),  expelled 
Damascus  completely  from  the  territory  of  Israel  (2  Kings 
14:  25-28).  Judah,  too,  after  Amaziah's  vain  attempt  to 
assert  independence  from  Joash  (2  Kings  14:8-14), 
troubled  Israel  no  more  and  probably  paid  regular  tribute. 

Freed  thus  from  external  conflicts,  Israel  was  left  to 
recuperate  from  her  exhausting  wars  with  Syria  and  to 
develop  her  own  internal  resources  in  peace.  The  result- 
ing prosperity  is  reflected  in  the  sermons  of  Amos.  He 
tells  us  of  palaces  (3:10,11;  6:8);  ''winter-houses," 
"summer-houses,"  houses  with  inlaid  ivory  finishings, 
and  "houses  of  hewn-stone"  (3:15;  5:11);  and  of  house 
furnishings  of  silk  and  ivory  (3  :  12  ;  6  :  4).  He  shows  us 
the  men  absorbed  in  gainful,  but  unrighteous,  business 
(8 : 4-6) ;  the  lust  for  wealth  has  blunted  their  moral 
consciousness.  The  abounding  prosperity  has  produced 
a  set  of  sensuous  and  materialistic  men,  who  spend  their 
time  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure  and  self-gratification 
(6 :  4-6).  They  are  urged  on  in  their  unrighteous  ways  by 
their  wives,  contemptible,  ease-loving,  self-indulgent  and 
sensual,  lost  to  all  true  womanhood  (4 :  i). 

The  natural  result  of  such  prosperity  was  a  feeling  of 
self-confidence  in  Israel  (6:13).  The  leaders  were  un- 
troubled by  care  and  free  from  the  disturbances  of  fear 
(6:  i).     Believing,  as  did  all  the  people  of  that  day,  that 

6 


INTRODUCTION 


prosperity  was  the  indisputable  evidence  of  the  favor  of 
Jehovah  toward  Israel,  they  rejoiced  in  the  confidence 
that  God  was  with  them  (5:14).  They  laughed  at 
the  suggestion  of  a  day  of  judgment  upon  the  nation,  and 
put  the  thought  far  away  from  them  (6:3).  They  revelled 
in  their  security  and  congratulated  themselves  upon  their 
piety. 

III.  The  Man  and  his  Message 

I.  THE  man 

To  this  care-free,  joyous,  and  self-satisfied  generation 
came  Amos  with  his  message  of  woe.  The  fact  that  he 
was  a  native  of  Judah  did  not  render  him  or  his  message 
any  more  acceptable  (cf.  7:12).  His  home  at  Tekoa 
(1:1)  lay  from  ten  to  twelve  miles  to  the  south  of  Jeru- 
salem. Situated  upon  the  top  of  a  high  hill,  it  commanded 
a  wide  view,  looking  down  upon  the  Dead  Sea  to  the  east 
and  across  to  the  hills  of  Moab.  Here  he  carried  on  the 
twofold  occupation  of  a  shepherd  and  a  dresser  of  syca- 
more trees  (1:1;  7  :  14  f.).  Thence  he  probably  set  out 
from  time  to  time  upon  visits  to  the  larger  markets  with 
the  products  of  his  flock  and  of  his  industry.  Right  at  his 
door  lay  Bethlehem ;  Jerusalem  but  an  hour's  walk  farther ; 
Hebron  about  the  same  distance  to  the  southwest;  and 
Bethel  less  than  twenty-five  miles  away.  To  such  points 
as  these  he  may  have  gone  frequently  in  pursuit  of  his 
business,  and  even  longer  journeys  are  not  out  of  the 
question.  Through  his  own  observations  while  upon 
such  trips  and  through  conversations  with  other  men 
from  more  distant  parts  whom  he  encountered  in  Tekoa, 
in  Jerusalem,  Bethel,  and  elsewhere,  he  learned  to  know  the 
conditions  of  life  in  Judah  and  in  the  North  and  heard  more 
or  less  definite  rumors  of  the  doings  of  the  neighboring 


INTRODUCTION 


peoples  and  of  the  affairs  of  the  more  distant  Assyria  and 
Urartu.  Returning  to  his  regular  duties  at  Tekoa,  the 
long,  lonely  vigils  of  his  shepherd  life  afforded  him  abundant 
leisure  for  thought.  As  the  simple,  sincere,  and  keen- 
eyed  shepherd  pondered  over  what  he  had  seen  and  heard 
and  contrasted  the  luxury,  vice,  and  heartlessness  of  the 
merchants  and  rulers  with  the  poverty,  the  sufferings, 
and  the  wrongs  of  hard-working  men  belonging  to  his 
own  social  level,  he  became  conscious  of  an  irresistible 
appeal  to  forsake  his  flocks  and  to  go  forth  as  a  prophet 
of  the  Lord  (7  :  15). 

2.   THE  MESSAGE 

The  message  of  Amos  ran  counter  to  all  the  beliefs  of 
his  day.  His  thought  of  God  was  in  irreconcilable  con- 
flict with  that  of  those  to  whom  he  preached.  For  them, 
Jehovah  was  Israel's  God.  His  interests  were  bound  up 
with  those  of  his  people.  He  could  not  but  prosper  them 
and  protect  them,  as  long  as  they  fulfilled  the  obligations 
to  him,  which  they  recognized  as  resting  upon  them. 
To  doubt  regarding  the  continuance,  —  yea,  the  increase 
—  of  Israel's  prosperity  and  power  among  the  nations 
was  to  be  disloyal  to  Jehovah.  Religion  and  patriotism 
combined  to  develop  in  Israel  a  jubilant  optimism. 
Prophets,  priests,  and  people  were  at  one,  all  carried  away 
by  an  enthusiasm  of  faith  and  a  zeal  without  knowledge. 
If  some  temporary  misfortune,  such  as  an  earthquake 
or  a  drought,  checked  the  flow  of  enthusiasm  for  a  moment, 
it  did  but  rush  on  and  over  the  barrier  with  added  momen- 
tum thereafter  (cf.  4:4  ff.).  Amos's  generation  was  in 
the  main  satisfied,  content  to  ''let  well  enough  alone." 
Its  members  were  faithful  to  the  traditions  that  had  come 
down  from  the  fathers,  both  in  the  social  sphere  and  in 

8 


INTRODUCTION 


that  of  religion.  They  were  of  good  old  conservative 
stock  and  resented  change.  Economic  and  political 
safety  lay  in  strict  adherence  to  the  old  paths.  What 
better  proof  of  the  efl&cacy  of  this  policy  than  the  pre- 
vailing prosperity?  Let  him  who  proposes  change  take 
heed  lest  the  whole  social,  economic,  and  political  order 
come  tumbling  about  his  ears! 

Amos  was  radically  committed  to  a  change,  both  in 
the  social  order  and  in  the  domain  of  religion  proper. 
His  idea  of  God  far  transcended  national  limits.  For 
him,  Jehovah  was  God  of  the  nations,  guiding  their  courses 
and  ordering  their  fates  (cf.  i :  3-2  13;  9:7).  Not  that 
the  nations  and  Israel  were  precisely  on  the  same  plane 
before  Jehovah,  but  that  Israel,  enjoying  special  privi- 
leges from  him,  was  under  special  responsibilities  to  him 
for  the  neglect  of  which  she  will  be  held  strictly  account- 
able (3:2;  cf.  2 : 9  ff.).  Amos  also  set  himself  against 
the  popular  conception  of  the  cultus.  His  statements 
at  times  sound  as  though  he  would  do  away  with  the 
ritual  completely ;  cf.  3  :  14 ;  4  *•  4  f- ;  5  •  S>  21-23,  25  f. ; 
8:10,  14;  9:1.  But  allowance  must  be  made  for  the 
rhetorical  exuberance  of  the  prophetic  indignation.  It  is 
scarcely  conceivable  that  in  such  an  age  Amos  ever 
seriously  contemplated  a  worship  without  ritualistic 
elements.  It  is  rather  that  he  insisted  that  sacrifices 
and  offerings,  feasts  and  fasts,  were  not  in  themselves  the 
chief  desire  of  Jehovah.  Jehovah  was  more  concerned 
about  the  offerer  than  the  offering.  Ritual  is  good,  but 
character  is  better;  and  ritual  apart  from  character  is 
worse  than  useless.  Righteousness  is  the  indispensable 
prerequisite    to    the    continuance    of    the    divine    favor. 

The  great  work  of  Amos  was  thus  that  of  insisting  that 
the  religion  of  his  day  keep  pace  with  the  advancing,  ethical 

9 


INTRODUCTION 


conscience.  The  question  with  him,  as  contrasted  with 
his  opponents,  was  not,  ''What  is  the  custom?"  but, 
"What  is  right  and  just?"  From  this  point  of  view,  he 
studied  the  social  order  in  Israel  and  pronounced  it 
iniquitous.  He  saw  wealth  accumulating  in  the  hands  of 
the  few,  while  the  masses  were  reduced  to  the  lowest  depths 
of  poverty.  He  charged  the  wealthy  with  cheating, 
robbery,  and  oppression  and  called  down  upon  them  the 
wrath  of  God.  He  knew  the  conditions  whereof  he  spoke. 
The  signs  of  great  wealth  were  visible  to  all.  The  methods 
by  which  it  had  been  attained  were  only  too  well  known. 
As  a  peasant  farmer,  Amos  had  had  sheep  and  wool  to  sell 
in  the  markets  of  the  land.  He  had  been  compelled  to 
take  small  prices  for  his  products  like  all  other  sellers  in 
his  class.  He  and  his  neighbors  barely  managed  to  keep 
soul  and  body  together  through  their  industry.  But 
those  who  bought  their  goods  and  who  fixed  the  price  to 
be  paid  fared  sumptuously  every  day  and  clothed  them- 
selves in  purple  and  fine  linen.  This  sort  of  thing  helped 
to  kindle  the  prophetic  fire  in  the  bosom  of  Amos.  With 
the  return  of  prosperity  to  Israel  upon  the  establishment 
of  a  relatively  long  period  of  peace  and  rest,  those  favored 
by  position  and  power,  or  by  the  possession  of  exceptional 
business  capacity,  turned  the  stream  of  wealth  into  their 
own  pockets.  Not  content  with  what  could  be  done  tow- 
ard this  by  legal  means,  many  allowed  themselves  to 
be  carried  across  the  line  of  legality  by  their  thirst  for 
gain.  The  purchase  of  court  decisions  (2:7;  5:11),  the 
use  of  false  weights  and  measures  (8:5),  and  the  general 
distortion  of  justice  and  right  (5:7;  6:12)  brought  the 
poorer  classes  into  an  abject  state  of  poverty  (2:6;  5:11; 
8 :  6),  so  that  in  many  cases  they  were  forced  to  sell  them- 
selves into  slavery  in  order  to  pay  their  debts. 

10 


INTRODUCTION 


Amos  was  a  fearless  and  outspoken  critic  of  this  state  of 
things.  He  went  through  the  North  exposing  the  real 
situation.  He  assured  the  dominant  classes  that  the 
state  could  not  endure  under  such  conditions.  He  de- 
clared it  to  be  Jehovah's  purpose  to  wipe  the  kingdom 
from  off  the  face  of  the  earth  on  account  of  its  violence 
and  wrong-doing.  The  only  escape  from  this  coming 
destruction  was  to  be  sought  in  a  complete  revolution  of 
conduct  (5  :  4-6,  14  f. ,  24).  The  religion  of  the  day  must 
be  ethicized  and  socialized.  The  cry  of  the  suffering  poor 
must  no  longer  ring  in  the  ears  of  Jehovah. 

In  the  announcement  of  the  threatened  doom,  Amos 
makes  use  of  an  existing  belief  regarding  a  coming  day  of 
Jehovah.  By  his  contemporaries,  this  day  was  looked 
upon  as  a  time  when  Jehovah  would  manifest  himself 
in  marvellous  fashion  upon  earth  in  the  overthrow  of  all 
Israel's  foes  and  in  the  exaltation  of  Israel  to  supremacy 
over  the  nations.  Amos  sees  in  the  coming  day  the  ap- 
proach of  Jehovah's  punishment  upon  Israel  herself  for 
her  own  sins  (5  :  18  ff.).  He  thus  gives  the  old  idea  a  new 
significance  and  makes  of  it  a  mighty  ethical  force,  of  which 
effective  use  was  made  by  later  prophets.  He  also 
brings  the  idea  down  out  of  the  region  of  indefinite  and 
hazy  expectation  and  ties  it  up  firmly  with  a  set  of  his- 
torical events.  He  was  apparently  unable  to  name  defi- 
nitely the  agent  through  whom  Jehovah's  will  was  to  be 
wrought  out  upon  Israel ;  but  he  was  quite  sure  that 
one  of  the  great  northern  peoples  would  come  down  with 
fire  and  sword  as  the  scourge  of  God.  Such  preaching 
naturally  aroused  the  antagonism  not  only  of  all  the 
vested  interests  in  general,  but  also  of  the  rulers  in 
particular,  and  he  received  orders  from  the  court  to 
flee  for  his  life.     Such  is   too  often  the   fate   of   those 


INTRODUCTION 


who    set    themselves    against    the    order  of    things  as 
they  are. 

Though  a  native  of  Judah,  Amos  did  his  work  in  the 
North.  The  reason  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  North  was  by 
far  the  more  important  of  the  two  halves  of  the  Hebrew 
people  and  that  the  time  of  crisis  for  her  was  fast  approach- 
ing. Moreover,  as  blood-relatives  and  as  politically  in 
the  closest  possible  relation  to  Israel,  the  men  of  Judah 
were  vitally  interested  in  all  that  concerned  Northern 
Israel.  Disaster  there  meant  imminent  danger  for  Judah. 
Amos,  apparently,  had  little  hope  for  the  success  of  his 
mission,  and  his  words  betray  little  emotion  in  regard  to 
the  message  of  doom  it  was  his  to  deliver.  But  no  man 
could  have  gone  forth  to  preach  such  a  message  to  men, 
without  having  entertained  some  hope.  He  who  could 
be  satisfied  with  a  bare  announcement  of  destruction  as 
an  end  in  itself  would  be  less  than  human.  The  very  fact 
that  he  preached  shows  that  he  hoped.  Yea,  further, 
it  reveals  his  love  for  his  brethren  of  the  North.  This 
affection  shows  itself  also  in  his  appeal  to  Jehovah  on  two 
occasions  to  stay  his  hand  (7:  2,  5).  But  whatever  his 
hopes  or  his  fears,  the  fate  he  foresaw  befell  Israel  within 
a  quarter  of  a  century  or  thereabouts  after  his  death. 
His  work  as  a  prophet  failed  of  its  immediate  purpose; 
while  his  ability  to  diagnose  the  social  and  political 
situation  of  Israel  and  to  foretell  its  fate  was  completely 
established. 

IV.  Recent  Literature  on  the  Book  of  Amos 

Harper,  W.  R.  A  Critical  and  Exegetical  Commentary 
on  Amos  and  Hosea  [The  International  Critical 
Commentary]  (1905). 


INTRODUCTION 


Smith,  Geo.  Adam.  The  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets, 
Vol.  I  (1896). 

Driver,  S.  R.  The  Books  of  Joel  and  Amos,  with  Intro- 
duction and  Notes  [The  Cambridge  Bible]  (1897). 

Mitchell,  H.  G.  Amos,  an  Essay  in  Exegesis  (2d  ed., 
1900). 

HoRTON,  R.  F.  The  Minor  Prophets  [The  Century  Bible] 
(1904). 

Eiselen,  F.  C.  The  Minor  Prophets  [Whedon's  Com- 
mentary] (1907). 

McFadyen,  J.  E.     A  Cry  for  Justice  (19 12). 

Cornill,  C.  H.     Prophets  of  Israel  (1898). 

Smith,  W.  R.  The  Prophets  of  Israel  and  their  Place  in 
History  (2d  ed.,  1896). 

Cheyne,  T.  K.  Article  "Amos,"  Encyclopagdia  Biblica, 
Vol.  I  (1899). 

Article  ''Amos,"  Encyclopaedia  Britannica  (nth  ed.). 

Welch,  Adam  C.  The  Religion  of  Israel  under  the  King- 
dom (1912). 

The  More  Important  Abbreviations 


AV 

The  Authorized  Version. 

Gr. 

Septuagint. 

Heb. 

Hebrew. 

m 

margin. 

RV 

British  Revised  Version. 

sv 

Standard  American  Revision 

Syr. 

Syriac. 

Tg. 

Targum. 

Vg. 

Vulgate. 

13 


A   COMMENTARY   ON    THE 
BOOK   OF   AMOS 

I.  The  Superscription,  i  :  i  i  :  i 

1.  The  words  of  Amos,  who  was  among  the  herdmen  i 
of  Tekoa,  which  he  saw  concerning  Israel  in  the  days 
of  Uzziah  king  of  Judah,  and  in  the  days  of  Jero- 
boam the  son  of  Joash  king  of  Israel,  two  years  before 
the  earthquake. 

II.  The  Theme  of  the  Prophecy,  i  :  2 

2.  And  he  said, 

The  Lord  2  shall  roar  from  Zion, 

and  utter  his  voice  from  Jerusalem ; 
And  the  pastures  ^  of  the  shepherds  shall  mourn, 

and  the  top  of  Carmel  shall  wither. 

1  Gr.  In  Akkareim.  2  gV  reads  Jehovah,  throughout  the  Old  Testament, 

s  m.  habitations. 

1.  Among  the  herdmen,  i.e.  one  of  the  herdmen,  or  better  shep- 
herds, having  their  headquarters  at  Tekoa,  which  was  twelve 
miles  to  the  south  of  Jerusalem.  Saw  is  often  equivalent  to 
prophesied,  as  here.  Israel,  here  and  throughout  the  book, 
means  the  Northern  Kingdom  as  distinguished  from  Judah. 
Uzziah  is  placed  first,  although  his  reign  did  not  begin  until  after 
that  of  Jeroboam  (2  Kings  15:  i).  The  dates  of  these  reigns 
cannot  be  precisely  determined ;  but  Jeroboam  probably  reigned 
from  about  780  B.C.  to  739  and  Uzziah  began  about  766  B.C. 
The  earthquake  mentioned  here  is  referred  to  again  in  Zech. 
14:5;  but  nothing  further  is  known  of  it.  For  the  probable 
date  of  the  activity  of  Amos,  see  the  Introduction. 

2.  In  figurative  speech  the  message  of  the  prophet  is  summa- 
rized as  a  prophecy  of  woe.  The  picture  is  that  of  a  drought,  so 
severe  that  the  top  of  Carmel  will  be  parched.  This  was  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  and  fertile  spots  in  Palestine;   cf.  Isa.  33  :  9; 

15 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


III.  Jehovah's  Purpose  to  smite  Israel's  Neighbors 
AND  Israel,  i  :  3-2  :  16 

1.  An  Oracle  against  Damascus,  i :  3-5 

3.       Thus  saith  the  Lord  : 

For  three  transgressions  of  Damascus, 
yea,  for  four,  I  will  not  turn  away  the  punishment 
thereof ;  ^ 
Because  they  have  threshed  Gilead 
with  threshing  instruments  of  iron :  ^ 

1  m.  revoke  my  word.        2  Qr.    because  they  sawed  with  iron  saws  the  women  with 
child  of  those  in  Gilead. 

Nah.  1 :  4.  Jehovah  will  send  terror  upon  the  land,  like  that 
caused  by  the  lion's  roar.  And  Jehovah's  attack  will  be  as  uni- 
versal and  disastrous  as  that  of  a  total  drought.  The  first  half 
of  the  verse  occurs  also  in  Joel  3:16.  The  entire  verse  in  Amos 
has  been  considered  as  a  later  addition  to  the  book.  One  of  the 
chief  reasons  for  this  view  is  the  fact  that  Jerusalem  is  made  the 
seat  of  Jehovah's  residence,  while  the  prophecy  concerns  itself 
almost  exclusively  with  the  Northern  Kingdom,  and  the  law 
centralizing  worship  at  Jerusalem  was  not  adopted  till  621  B.C. 
long  after  the  days  of  Amos. 

3.  The  prophet  begins  with  a  series  of  threats  against  some  of 
the  people  surrounding  Israel.  Damascus  was  the  capital  of  a 
district  in  Syria  which  had  long  been  hostile  to  Israel  and  at 
times  had  reduced  her  to  dire  straits;  cf.  2  Kings  13:3-7. 
Such  a  message  as  this  would  naturally  be  pleasing  to  the  prophet's 
audience.  But  in  the  time  of  Amos,  Israel  was  undisturbed  by 
Damascus  and  free  to  pursue  the  road  to  prosperity.  The  col- 
location of  one  number  with  the  next  higher,  as  in  three  and  four, 
is  a  well-known  method  in  Hebrew  of  indicating  an  indefinite 
number;  cf.  Jer.  36 :  23 ;  Prov.  30:  15,  18,  21,  29.  I  will  not 
turn  away  the  punishment  thereof ;  this  is  a  very  ambiguous 
sentence  in  Hebrew.  It  may  mean,  "  I  will  not  revoke  it,"  viz. 
the  punishment  determined  upon  already;  or  "  I  will  not  turn 
him  back,"  viz.  the  foe  from  the  north  who  is  destined  to  bring 
disaster  upon  Damascus;  or  "I  will  surely  punish  him,"  viz. 
Damascus.  This  latter  rendering  suits  the  context  best;  but 
it  is  not  so  well  supported  by  Hebrew  usage  as  the  other  two. 
Threshed    Gilead    is    probably    descriptive    of    the    barbarities 

16 


THE   BOOK  OF   AMOS  1:5 


4.  But  I  will  send  a  fire  into  the  house  of  Hazael, 

and  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  ^  of  Ben-hadad. 

5.  And  I  will  break  the  bar  of  Damascus, 

and  cut  off  the  inhabitant  ^  from  the  valley  of  Aven,^ 
And  him  that  holdeth  the  sceptre  from  the  house  of 
Eden,4 
and  the  people  of  Syria  shall  go  into  captivity  unto 
Kir, 
Saith  the  Lord. 

1  Gr.  foundations.  2  m.  him  thai  sitteth  on  the  throne.  »  Gr.  On.  *  m.  Beth-Eden; 
Gr.  men  of  Earran. 

inflicted  by  Syria  upon  Northern  Israel  during  the  long  years  of 
warfare,  especially  in  the  reigns  of  Jehu  and  his  son  ;  cf .  2  Kings 
8:12;  io:32f.  ;i3:7.  Threshing  instruments  of  iron,  z.e.  prob- 
ably, one  of  the  instruments  still  used  in  modern  Syria,  viz.^  a 
sledge  made  of  planks  with  sharp  pieces  of  iron  fastened  upon  its 
under  side.     This  was  drawn  over  the  grain  by  oxen. 

4.  Hazael  and  Ben-hadad  represent  the  kings  of  Damascus, 
the  former  being  the  name  of  the  founder  of  the  dynasty  that  held 
the  throne  in  the  time  of  x\mos  (2  Kings  8:7-13,  29;  10:32; 
13  :  22),  and  the  latter  having  been  held  by  at  least  three  kings 
(i  Kings  15  :  18  f. ;    20  :  i  ff. ;    2  Kings  13  :  3). 

5.  The  bar  of  Damascus  is  a  case  of  synecdoche,  the  part  being 
placed  for  the  whole.  The  bars  used  to  fasten  a  city's  gates  are 
not  infrequently  representative  of  the  defences  of  a  city;  cf. 
Judg.  16:3;  I  Kings  4:13;  Jer.  51  :  30 ;  Lam.  2:9).  The  valley 
of  Aven  cannot  be  definitely  located.  The  name  itself^  means 
"  valley  of  vanity  "  and  may  be  a  sarcastic  nickname  coined  by 
Amos  for  some  well-known  region  in  Syria.  The  house  of  Eden 
is  probably  better  taken  as  Beth-eden;  cf.  similar  names,  e.g. 
Beth-lehem,  Beth-rehob,  Beth-car,  Beth-shemesh.  This  place 
likewise  is  as  yet  unidentified.  Shall  go  into  captivity,  i.e.  will  be 
carried  away  by  a  conqueror.  This  policy  of  deporting  conquered 
peoples  had  been  practised  by  Assyria  since  the  days  of  Tiglath- 
pileser  I  (iioo  b.c.)  and  was  probably  not  confined  to  Assyria. 
Babylonia,  at  least,  later  adopted  it.  Kir  is  mentioned  again  in 
9  :  7  as  the  place  whence  the  Syrians  had  migrated  into  Syria.  Its 
location  is  unknown.  The  complete  overthrow  of  Damascus 
was  effected  by  Tiglath-pileser  IV  of  Assyria  (745-727  B.C.)  in 
732  B.C.  and  is  narrated  in  his  Annals. 

C  17 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


2.  An  Oracle  against  the  Philistines,  i :  6-8 

6.       Thus  saith  the  Lord  : 

For  three  transgressions  of  Gaza, 

yea,  for  four,  I  will  not  turn  away  the  punishment 
thereof ; 
Because  they  carried  away  captive  the  whole  people,^ 
to  deliver  them  up  to  Edom : 
7-   But  I  will  send  a  fire  on  the  wall  of  Gaza, 
and  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  thereof : 
8.   And  I  will  cut  off  the  inhabitant  from  Ashdod, 

and  him  that  holdeth  the  sceptre  from  Ashkelon ; 
And  I  will  turn  mine  hand  against  Ekron, 

and  the  remnant  of  the  Philistines  shall  perish, 
Saith  the  Lord  God. 

1  Heb.  an  entire  captivity. 

6.  Gaza  is  named  as  representative  of  the  Philistine  confeder- 
acy, being  probably  the  largest  Philistine  city  and,  perhaps,  the 
centre  of  the  slave  trade  here  denounced.  The  whole  people ;  i.e. 
not  necessarily  an  entire  nation,  but  more  probably  the  population 
of  some  city  or  district.  There  was  bitter  hostility  between  the  He- 
brews and  the  Philistines  at  various  times  ;  e.g.  Judg.  14  :  4;  15:11; 
I  Sam.4ff.,  lyff.;  Obad.  19  ;  Isa.  n  :  14;  14  :  29-32;  Jer.  25  :  20;  47; 
Zeph.  2  :  4-7  ;  Ezek.  25  :  15-17  ;  Zech.  9  :  5-7.  Yet  this  outrage  may 
not  have  been  perpetrated  upon  the  Hebrews  at  all,  but  upon  some 
other  community;  cf.  2:  i.  We  have  no  means  of  identifying 
the  episode  to  which  reference  is  made.  Edom  seems  to  have 
been  the  centre  of  a  slave  trafhc  among  the  nations  of  western 
Asia;  cf.  vs.  9.  Those  sold  were  captives  taken  in  war  and  in 
plundering  raids  upon  neighboring  territory. 

8.  Ashdod,  Ashkelon,  and  Ekron  were  three  leading  cities  in 
the  Philistine  confederacy  (cf.  i  Sam.  6:  17).  Gath  is  the  only 
one  not  mentioned.  Ashdod  (3:9;  Isa.  20  :  i)  was  an  influential 
city  situated  three  miles  from  the  sea-coast  and  due  west  from 
Jerusalem.  Ashkelon  was  directly  on  the  coast  and  about  nine 
or  ten  miles  south  of  x\shdod ;  while  Ekron  was  on  the  northern 
border  of  Philistia,  about  nine  miles  from  the  sea.  The  remnant 
of  the  Philistines,  i.e.  all  the  Philistines  shall  be  destroyed  wher- 
ever they  may  be. 

18 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS  mi 


7,.  An  Oracle  against  Tyre,  i :  9-10 

9.       Thus  saith  the  Lord  : 

For  three  transgressions  of  Tyre, 
yea,  for  four,  I  will  not  turn  away  the  punishment 
thereof ; 
Because  they  delivered  up  the  whole  people^  to  Edom, 
and  remembered  not  the  brotherly  covenant :  ^ 

10.  But  I  will  send  a  fire  on  the  wall  of  Tyre, 

and  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  thereof. 

4.  An  Oracle  against  Edom,  i :  11-12 

11.  Thus  saith  the  Lord  : 

For  three  transgressions  of  Edom, 
yea,  for  four,  I  will  not  turn  away  the  punishment 
thereof ; 

1  Heb.  an  entire  captivity.         2  Heb.  the  covenant  of  brethren. 

9.  Tyre  and  Sidon  were  the  chief  cities  of  Phoenicia.  The 
former  city  was  built  upon  an  island  about  half  a  mile  away  from 
the  mainland  and  by  the  time  of  x'Vmos  had  become  the  leading 
city  of  Phcenicia.  Israel's  early  relations  with  Tyre  were  friendly; 
cf.  2  Sam.  5:11;  I  Kings  5  :  i  £F. ;  9:13;  16:31.  But  the 
prophets  repeatedly  threatened  her  with  destruction  ;  cf .  Isa.  23  ; 
Jer.  25  :  22;  Ezek.  26:  15  ff. ;  Zech.  9  :  2  f .  Absolutely  nothing 
is  known  regarding  any  such  offence  as  that  with  which  Tyre  is 
here  charged.  The  covenant  referred  to  here  is  not  known,  since 
it  can  hardly  be  that  made  so  far  back  as  the  reign  of  Solomon 
(i  Kings  5  :  7)  between  Israel  and  Tyre.  Apparently  Tyre  has 
violated  its  treaty  with  some  neighboring  state  by  raiding  it  and 
selling  the  captives  into  slavery  to  Edom.  Tyre  was  smitten 
repeatedly  by  the  Assyrian  and  succeeding  empires  down  to  the 
reign  of  Alexander. 

The  oracle  against  Tyre  is  probably  a  later  insertion  in  the 
prophecy  of  Amos.  It  does  but  repeat  the  charge  made  against 
the  Philistines  ;  geographically  Tyre  should  have  preceded  Philis- 
tia ;  and  the  form  of  the  oracle  is  markedly  different  from  that 
of  the  preceding  in  that  it  lacks  the  concluding  "  saith  the  Lord  " 
and  it  has  nothing  corresponding  to  the  last  two  lines  in  the  oracles 

19 


i:i2  THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


Because  he  did  pursue  his  brother  with  the  sword, 

and  did  cast  off  all  pity,^ 
And  his  anger  did  tear  perpetually ,2 

and  he  kept  his  wrath  for  ever :  ^ 

12.  But  I  will  send  a  fire  upon  Teman, 

and  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  of  Bozrah.^ 

$.  An  Oracle  against  Ammon,  i :  13-15 

13.  Thus  saith  the  Lord  : 

For  three  transgressions  of  the  children  of  Ammon, 
yea,  for  four,  I  will  not  turn  away  the  punishment 
thereof ; 

1  Heb.  destroyed  his  compassion.  Gr.  he  outraged  a  mother  upon  the  ground. 
2  Syr.  and  he  retained  forever  his  wrath.  ^  Gr.  he  guarded  unto  victory.  *  Gr.  the 
foundations  of  its  walls. 

against  Damascus  and  Gaza.  It  probably  comes  from  an  editor 
who  felt  that  Tyre  ought  not  to  escape  the  judgment  passed  upon 
its  neighbors. 

11.  Edom  is  the  only  nation  ever  recognized  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment as  a  brother  of  Israel.  The  relations  between  the  two  prior 
to  the  exile  were  not  such  as  to  give  Israel  great  cause  for  com- 
plaint; cf.  Numb.  20:14-21;  Deut.  2:1-8;  i  Sam.  14:47; 
2  Sam.  8  :  14 ;  i  Kings  9  :  26 ;  11 :  14-22  ;  22  :  48  f. ;  2  Kings 
3:8  ff. ;  8:20-22;  14:7.  Nor  was  Israelitish  feeling  against 
Edom  apparently  very  bitter;  cf.  Deut.  23:7.  The  exile 
brought  a  marked  change,  because  Edom  took  advantage  of 
Judah's  weakness  to  plunder  the  territory  of  her  neighbor  and  to 
encroach  upon  it ;  cf .  Obad. ;  Isa.  63  :  i  ff. ;  Mai.  i  :  2  ff.  His 
anger  did  tear  is  better  rendered  with  Syriac  and  Vulgate,  he 
retained  his  anger. 

12.  Teman  is  a  synonym  for  Edom  in  Jer.  49:  7,  20;  Obad. 
9 ;  Hab.  3:3.  Bozrah  probably  designates  the  chief  city  of 
Edom  at  the  time  of  this  oracle;  cf.  Gen.  36:33;  Isa.  34:6; 
63  :  I ;  Jer.  49:  7  ff.,  13,  22.  It  is  perhaps  represented  by  the 
little  modern  village  of  Buseire. 

This  oracle,  too,  probably  was  added  by  a  later  hand.  The 
reasons  for  this  opinion  are  as  follows:  (i)  The  attitude  toward 
Edom  here  reflected  was  one  that  did  not  arise  until  after  the 
Exile;    (2)  the  lack  of  definiteness  in  the  specification  of  Edom's 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS  1:15 


Because  they  have  ripped  up  the  women  with  child  of 
Gilead, 
that  they  might  enlarge  their  border : 

14.  But  I  will  kindle  a  fire  in  the  wall  of  Rabbah, 

and  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  thereof, 
With  shouting  in  the  day  of  battle, 
with  a  tempest  in  the  day  of  the  whirlwind : 

15.  And  their  king^  shall  go  into  captivity, 

he  2  and  his  princes  together, 
Saith  the  Lord. 

1  Gr.  its  kings;  Syr.  and  others,  Milcom.         2  Qx.,  Syr.,  and  others,  their  priests. 

crime ;  (3)  Petra,  the  capital  of  Edom  in  the  days  of  Amos, 
is  not  mentioned,  while  Teman  and  Bozrah,  which  are  named,  are 
found  chiefly  in  post-exilic  writings ;  (4)  the  form  of  this  oracle 
accords  with  that  against  Tyre  rather  than  with  those  against 
Damascus  and  the  Philistines. 

13.  Ammon  had  not  been  in  conflict  with  Israel  very  frequently, 
so  far  as  we  can  learn,  from  the  time  of  David  on;  cf.  2  Sam. 
8:12;  10;  12:26-31;  2Chron.  20;  26:8;  27:5.  Its  territory 
lay  across  the  Jordan  and  to  the  north  of  Moab,  just  east  of  the 
hill  country  of  Gilead,  which  was  occupied  by  Gad  and  Manasseh. 
The  crime  charged  against  Ammon  is  a  definite  act  of  horrible 
cruelty  which  seems  to  have  been  of  recent  occurrence ;  but  there 
is  no  other  record  of  it.  Ripped  up  the  women  with  child;  the 
Hebrews  themselves  were  not  free  from  guilt  on  this  score ;  cf . 
2  Kings  8:12;  15  :  16  ;  PIos.  10  :  14;  13  :  16  ;  Nah.  3  :  10 ;  Ps. 
137  :  9.  It  was  an  act  in  keeping  with  the  barbarities  of  crude 
times.  Enlarge  their  border ;  there  was  no  chance  for  the  expansion 
of  the  Ammonites  on  the  east,  because  of  the  ever  encroaching 
desert.  They  had  to  choose  between  Moab  on  the  south  and 
Israel  on  the  west  and  north,  and  they  would  naturally  go  in  the 
direction  in  which  the  less  effective  resistance  was  offered. 

14.  Rabbah,  or  "  Rabbath  of  the  Ammonites  "  as  it  is  more 
commonly  called,  was  the  chief  city  and  was  located  near  the 
sources  of  the  river  Jabbok,  about  25  miles  to  the  northeast  of 
the  Dead  Sea.  Shouting,  i.e.  the  war-cries  of  the  enemy.  Whirl- 
wind; the  destruction  is  to  include  human  and  divine  agencies, 
both  cooperating  to  bring  about  the  downfall  of  Ammon. 

15.  He  is  probably  better  read,  with  the  versions,  his  priests. 
These,  with  the  princes,  comprising   the   two   most   influential 


2; I  THE  BOOK  OF   AMOS 


6.  An  Oracle  against  Moab,  2  :  1-3 

2.       Thus  saith  the  Lord  : 

For  three  transgressions  of  Moab, 
yea,  for  four,  I  will  not  turn  away  the  punishment 
thereof ; 
Because  he  burned  the  bones  of  the  king  of  Edom 
into  lime : 
2.   But  I  will  send  a  fire  upon  Moab, 

and  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  of  Kerioth ;  ^ 

1  Gr.  its  cities. 

classes  in  the  state,  represent  the  utter  overthrow  of  the  kingdom. 
Whether  the  Ammonites  actually  went  into  exile  or  not,  we  do 
not  know.  But  they  were  completely  subdued  by  the  Assyrians 
and  remained  tributary  to  them  from  the  time  of  Tiglath-pileser's 
campaign  against  Syria  in  734  B.C. 

I.  Moab  lay  along  the  southern  half  of  the  eastern  shore  of 
the  Dead  Sea,  its  northern  boundary  being  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
river  Arnon.  It  was  occupied  by  a  stronger  and  more  aggres- 
sive people  than  the  Ammonites;  cf.  Isa.  16:6;  Zeph.  2:  10; 
Jer.  48:  19,  42.  They  had  been  made  tributary  to  Israel  by 
Omri  and  continued  so  through  the  reign  of  Ahab  (2  Kings  3:4). 
But  after  his  death  (2  Kings  1:1;  3  :  5),  a  successful  revolt  was 
carried  through  by  Mesha,  King  of  Moab,  whose  record  of  the 
event  is  recorded  and  preserved  for  us  upon  the  "  Moabite  stone." 
They  were  never  again  subject  to  Israel,  so  far  as  the  records 
show.  Disaster  to  Moab  is  threatened  because  he  burned  the 
bones  of  the  king  of  Edom  into  lime.  This  was  an  act  of  impiety 
in  the  eyes  of  all  ancient  peoples,  since  the  repose  of  the  departed 
spirit  depended  upon  the  proper  burial  of  the  body.  To  destroy 
the  body  left  the  spirit  to  wander  up  and  down  upon  the  face  oT 
the  earth.  It  is  particularly  noticeable  that  the  Hebrew  prophet 
is  here  announcing  the  coming  of  divine  punishment  upon  Moab 
for  a  crime  wrought,  not  against  Israel,  but  against  Edom,  a 
foreign  nation.  This  would  seem  to  indicate  that  he  thought  of 
Jehovah  as  not  confining  his  interest  to  Israel,  but  as  extending  it 
wheresoever  the  furtherance  of  high  moral  standards  required  the 
exercise  of  his  power.  It  may  be,  of  course,  that  at  the  time 
referred  to  here,  to  which  we  can  get  no  clew,  Edom  was  either 
a  vassal  or  an  ally  of  Israel,  in  which  case  an  injury  to  Edom  was 
tantamount  to  an  injury  to  Israel  itself.     But   the  extension  of 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS  2:4 


And  Moab  shall  die  with  tumult,^ 

with  shouting,  and  with  the  sound  of  the  trumpet : 

3.  And  I  will  cut  off  the  judge  from  the  midst  thereof, 

and  will  slay  all  the  princes  thereof  with  him, 
Saith  the  Lord. 

7.  An  Oracle  against  Judah,  2  :  4-5 

4.  Thus  saith  the  Lord  : 

For  three  transgressions  of  Judah, 

yea,  for  four,  I  will  not  turn  away  the  punishment 
thereof ; 
Because  they  have  rejected  the  law  of  the  Lord, 

and  have  not  kept  his  statutes, 

^  Gr.  in  weakness. 

Jehovah's  interests  beyond  the  borders  of  Israel  is  clearly  con- 
templated by  Amos;   cf.  9  :  7. 

2.  Kerioth  is  mentioned  also  in  Jer.  48  :  24,  41 ;  but  its  identi- 
fication is  uncertain.  It  was  evidently  a  leading  city  and  it 
may  have  been  identical  with  "  Ar  of  Moab,"  for  the  two  names 
never  appear  together.  Moab  is  threatened  with  invasion,  just 
like  Ammon;  the  tumult,  shouting,  and  sound  of  the  trumpet 
are  indicative  of  the  attack  of  an  enemy. 

3.  The  term  judge  evidently  here  designates  the  king,  one  of 
whose  functions  it  was  to  administer  justice.  Exile  is  threatened 
only  in  the  cases  of  Damascus  and  Ammon.  Nothing  is  known 
as  to  the  history  of  Moab  immediately  after  the  days  of  Amos, 
except  that  she  paid  tribute  to  the  successive  Assyrian  kings, 
beginning  with  Tiglath-pileser.  She  did  venture  upon  war  with 
Assyria  in  the  reign  of  Sargon,  but  though  defeated  and  amerced 
a  heavy  fine  she  continued  her  national  existence  until  wiped  out 
by  the  advancing  fxood  of  the  Nabataeans  after  the  exile  of  Judah. 

4.  Judah  stands  for  the  southern  Kingdom.  The  only  other 
references  to  it  in  Amos  are  1:2;  6:1;  7:12;  9:11.  In  the 
time  of  Amos,  the  North  and  South  seem  to  have  been  upon  fairly 
good  terms.  Amos  himself  was  a  citizen  of  Judah  (i  :  i).  Law 
is  here  parallel  with  statutes.  The  former  includes  all  the  teach- 
ings of  the  prophets  and  the  general  directions  regarding  the 
religious  and  social  life  that  issued  from  the  priests  from  time  to 

23 


2:5  THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


And  their  lies  have  caused  them  to  err, 
after  the  which  their  fathers  did  walk : 

5.  But  I  will  send  a  fire  upon  Judah, 

and  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  of  Jerusalem. 

8.  An  Oracle  against  Israel,  2  :  6-16 

6.  Thus  saith  the  Lord  : 

For  three  transgressions  of  Israel, 
yea,  for  four,  I  will  not  turn  away  the  punishment 
thereof ; 


time.  The  statutes  were  such  definite  legal  enactments  as  were 
in  existence  at  the  time  this  oracle  was  written.  There  is  no 
reference  here  to  the  "  law  of  Moses  "  as  a  whole,  as  now  presented 
in  the  Pentateuch.  Their  lies  is  a  designation  of  the  idols  which 
Judah  has  worshipped.  These  can  render  her  no  aid.  Hence, 
they  are  nothing  but  lies ;  cf.  Jer.  23  :  13  f.  Walk  is  here  equiva- 
lent to  "  worship  and  obey  " ;    cf.  Deut.  4:3;    11:28;  13:2,  4. 

5.  Judah  and  Jerusalem  suffered  severely  at  the  hands  of 
enemies  more  than  once  after  the  days  of  Amos,  viz.  in  the  Syro- 
Ephraimitish  invasion  in  the  days  of  Ahaz  (Isa.  chap.  7),  in  the 
invasion  of  Sennacherib  in  701  B.C.  (Isa.  chap.  36),  in  the  Baby- 
lonian attack  and  deportation  of  597  B.C.  (2  Kings  24:  10  ff.),and 
in  the  second  attack  ending  in  the  fall  of  the  city  in  586  B.C. 
(2  Kings  25  :  i  ff.). 

These  verses  (2  :  4,  5)  probably  formed  no  part  of  the  message  of 
Amos,  but  were  added  by  an  editor  who  felt  that  Amos  must  have 
denounced  the  wickedness  of  his  own  people.  In  support  of  this 
treatment  of  the  passage,  it  may  be  urged  (i)  that  the  charge 
against  Judah  lacks  the  concrete  and  specific  details  of  crime 
characterizing  the  oracles  against  the  other  peoples;  (2)  that 
the  form  of  this  oracle  is  like  that  of  the  late  prophecies  against 
Tyre  and  Edom,  rather  than  that  of  the  genuine  oracles ;  (3)  that 
Amos  would  hardly  have  treated  the  sins  of  his  own  nation  so 
briefly  in  comparison  to  his  treatment  of  the  sins  of  Israel ;  (4) 
that  the  spirit  and  language  of  the  accusation  are  identical  with 
those  of  Deuteronomy  which  arose  more  than  a  century  after  the 
time  of  Amos ;  (5)  that  its  presence  takes  the  edge  off  the  oracle 
against  Israel,  the- coming  of  which  we  are  now  bound  to  expect. 

6.  Israel  will  not  escape  in  the  great  catastrophe  that  is  to 
befall  the  world.     Her  sins  are  too  many  and  too  glaring.     The 

24 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS  2:8 


Because  they  have  sold  the  righteous  for  silver, 
and  the  needy  for  a  pair  of  shoes  : 

7.  That  pant  after  ^  the  dust  of  the  earth  ^  on  the  head  of 

the  poor, 
and  turn  aside  the  way  of  the  meek : 
And  a  man  and  his  father  will  go  unto   the  same 

maid,^ 
to  profane  my  holy  name : 

8.  And  they  lay  themselves  down  beside  every  altar 

upon^  clothes  taken  in  pledge,^ 

1  Gr.  that  tread  upon.  ^  Gr.  inserts  here,  and  struck  with  the  fists.  ^  m.  young 
woman.  *  Gr.  omits  upon.        ^  Gr.  and  tying  their  clothes  togetJter  with  cords  they 

made  veils  about  the  altar. 

Israelites,  who  have  listened  to  prophecies  against  their  enemies 
with  warm  approval  and  a  smug  feeling  of  self-righteousness,  are 
now  startled  out  of  their  ease  by  this  sudden  attack  of  the  prophet 
upon  themselves.  The  first  charge  brought  against  them  is  that 
of  social  injustice.  They  have  sold  poor  but  righteous  people 
into  slavery  lor  debts  of  the  most  trivial  amount.  Apparently, 
rich  creditors  were  unable  to  make  use  of  all  those  whom  they 
seized  for  debt  and  consequently  they  farmed  them  out  to  others. 
There  is  no  essential  difference  between  peonage  of  that  sort  and 
slavery. 

7.  That  pant  after  the  dust  of  the  earth  on  the  head  of  the 
poor.  This  is  hardly  a  possible  translation  of  the  Hebrew  text; 
nor  is  the  present  Hebrew  text  susceptible  of  translation.  Follow- 
ing the  hint  given  by  the  Septuagint,  we  suppose  that  the  original 
reading  was,  that  hiifet  the  heads  of  the  poor.,  and  that  the  remainder 
of  the  sentence  is  due  to  a  mistaken  interpretation  of  the  original 
which  was  preserved  alongside  of  the  true  reading  and  was  at  last 
mixed  with  it.  The  way  is  the  right  dealing  due  toward  the  poor, 
the  course  of  justice.  The  phrase  go  unto  the  maid  is  of  doubtful 
meaning.  Most  naturally  it  implies  that  the  father  sets  the  son 
the  example  of  indulgence  in  sexual  license,  by  patronizing  either 
ordinary  harlots  or  temple  prostitutes.  In  either  case  Jehovah's 
name  would  be  brought  into  disrepute  or  treated  as  an  unholy 
thing  as  the  result  of  such  action. 

8.  And  they  lay  themselves,  etc.  Better,  and  they  spread  out 
clothes  taken  in  pledge  beside  every  altar.  Thus  they  not  only 
desecrate  the  sanctuary  by  their  immorality,  but  they  wrong  the 

25 


219 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


And  in  the  house  of  their  God  they  drink  the  wine  of 
such  as  have  been  fined.  ^ 
9.   Yet  destroyed  I  the  Amorite  before  them, 

whose  height  was  like  the  height  of  the  cedars, 
and  he  was  strong  as  the  oaks ; 
Yet  I  destroyed  his  fruit  from  above, 
and  his  roots  from  beneath. 

10.  Also  I  brought  you  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 

and  led  you  forty  years  in  the  wilderness,^ 
to  possess  the  land  of  the  Amorite. 

11.  And  I  raised  up^  of  your  sons  for  prophets, 

and  of  your  young  men  for  Nazirites. 

^  Gx.  from  sycophants ;  Syr.  old.      ^  Syr.  adds  and  brought  you  in.      ^  Gt.  and  I  took. 

poor  at  the  same  time  and  violate  one  of  the  ancient  laws ;  see 
Exod.  22  :  26.  In  the  house  of  their  God  is  better  rendered  in  the 
houses  of  their  gods ;  that  is,  in  the  local  sanctuaries  all  over  the 
land  ;  not  merely  in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem.  The  wine  of  such 
as  have  been  fined  was  probably  that  purchased  with  money  ob- 
tained by  the  unjust  imposition  of  fines  upon  the  poor. 

9.  Amorite  is  the  name  used  by  Amos  to  designate  the  occu- 
pants of  Canaan  at  the  time  when  Israel  took  possession  of  the 
land.  Tradition  had  magnified  their  height  and  strength  until 
they  were  thought  of  as  veritable  giants;  cf.  Numb.  13:  22  ff., 
33;  Deut.  1:28;  2:10,20;  3:11.  They  were,  notwithstand- 
ing their  strength,  destroyed  root  and  branch  by  Jehovah.  Yet 
such  a  favor  to  Israel  seems  to  have  been  insufficient  to  keep  her 
loyal  to  Jehovah's  commands.  Other  statements  regarding  the 
conquest  do  not  represent  the  destruction  of  the  Amorites  as 
having  been  so  complete  as  Amos  reports,  e.g.  Exod.  23:32  f . ; 
34:  12;    Judg.  i:  27-36. 

10.  The  deliverance  from  Egypt  was  the  great  outstanding 
fact  in  evidence  of  Jehovah's  power  and  of  his  love  for  Israel. 
Scriptures  never  tire  of  lajdng  emphasis  thereon;  cf.  Ex.  19:4; 
Deut.  32:10;    Ps.  78:53;   Jer.  2  :  2. 

11.  When  Moses  and  Joshua,  the  leaders  of  the  Exodus  and 
the  Conquest,  passed  away,  other  leaders  were  needed.  These 
were  furnished  by  Jehovah  in  the  form  of  prophets  and  Nazirites 
taken  from  among  the  Israelites  themselves.  Of  the  former,  the 
best  known  prior  to  Amos  are  Deborah,  Samuel,  Gad,  Nathan, 

26 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


Is  it  not  even  thus,  O  ye  children  of  Israel  ?  saith  the 
Lord. 

12.  But  ye  gave  the  Nazirites  wine  to  drink ; 

and  commanded  the  prophets,  saying.  Prophesy  not. 

13.  Behold,  I  will  press  you  in  your  place, 

as  a  cart  presseth  that  is  full  of  sheaves.^ 

14.  And  flight  shall  perish  from  the  swift,^ 

and  the  strong  shall  not  strengthen  his  force, 
Neither  shall  the  mighty  deliver  himself : 

15.  neither  shall  he  stand  that  handleth  the  bow ; 
And  he  that  is  swift  of  foot  shall  not  deliver  himself: 

neither  shall  he  that  rideth  the  horse  deliver  him- 
self: 

1  m.  /  am  pressed  under  you,  as  a  cart  is  pressed  that  is  full  of  sheaves.  Gr.  Therefore, 
behold,  I  roll  under  you  as  the  cart  rolls  that  is  full  of  straw.  2  ni.  refuge  shall  fail  the 
swift. 

Ahijah,  Elijah,  Micaiah,  and  Elisha.  Of  the  latter  order,  the  most 
conspicuous  members  known  are  Samson  and  Samuel.  The 
Nazirite  was  one  set  apart  by  a  special  vow  to  the  service  of  God. 

12.  But  Israel  spurned  these  gifts  of  God.  Ye  gave  the 
Nazirites  wine,  which  was  evidently  a  thing  from  which  their 
vows  constrained  them  to  refrain ;  cf.  i  Sam.  i :  11 ;  Judg.  13  :  4, 
5,  7,  14;  Numb.  6:  2-21.  Prophesy  not;  for  examples  of  such 
prohibition,  cf.  7:13,16;  i  Kings  13:4;  18:4;  19:2;  22:8, 
26  f. ;    2  Kings  i  :  9  £f. ;    6  :  31. 

13.  With  this  verse  begin  the  threats  of  punishment  for  the 
sins  described  in  the  foregoing  verses.  The  translation  of  the 
verse  is  very  uncertain,  since  the  verb  used  occurs  nowhere  else 
in  the  Old  Testament.  Perhaps,  it  should  be  rendered  thus, 
Behold,  I  will  make  a  shaking  under  you  as  a  cart  shakes  that  is 
full  of  sheaves.  The  language  is  most  naturally  interpreted  as 
descriptive  of  an  earthquake.  Further,  the  terror  and  help- 
lessness depicted  in  the  following  verses  are  the  natural  effect  of 
such  a  shock.  Amos  did  not  confine  his  threats  to  one  kind  of 
punishment.  He  sometimes  threatened  war  (3:11;  S|27; 
6:14),  sometimes  drought,  pestilence,  etc.  (7:1-6),  sometimes 
eclipse  and  a  world  cataclysm  (8 :  8,  9). 

15  f.  Neither  speed,  strength,  courage,  skill  in  combat,  nor 
horsemanship  will  avail  to  secure  escape  in  the  frightful  catastro- 

27 


1 6  THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


1 6.   And  he  that  is  courageous  among  the  mighty  ^ 
shall  flee  away  naked  in  that  day, 
Saith  the  Lord. 

IV.  The  Sin  of  Samaria  and  her  Judgment,  3:1-4:3 

I.  A  Justification  of  the  Prophefs  Message ,  3  : 1-8 

3.       Hear  this  word  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken  against 
you,  O  children  of  Israel,  against  the  whole  family 
which  I  brought  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  saying, 
2.   You  only  have  I  known 

of  all  the  families  of  the  earth : 
Therefore  I  will  visit  upon  you 
all  your  iniquities. 

^  Gr.  and  the  strong  shall  not  find  his  heart  in  strength. 

phe  that  is  to  come.  Naked,  i.e.  not  waiting  to  provide  himself 
with  clothes  or  weapons,  or  casting  aside  such  things  as  impedi- 
ments to  his  flight.  Complete  rout  and  demoralization  will 
prevail.  In  that  day,  i.e.  the  day  of  Jehovah,  the  day  of  disaster, 
which  is  described  more  fully  in  5  :  i8  £f. 

3:1.  Children  of  Israel  is  defined  by  the  following  clause  as 
including  both  Israel  and  Judah.  The  oracle  concerns  itself 
immediately  only  with  Israel  proper;  but  the  two  peoples  were 
so  closely  related  in  all  their  interests  that  what  was  of  importance 
to  the  one  was  likewise  significant  for  the  other.  The  prophet 
starts  his  discourse  by  speaking  of  Jehovah,  but  at  once  slips  into 
the  use  of  the  first  person  as  though  Jehovah  himself  were  speak- 
ing. The  prophets  were  not  careful  to  distinguish  between  them- 
selves and  Jehovah  in  their  utterances,  because  they  regarded 
themselves  as  but  the  spokesmen  of  Jehovah. 

2.  You  only  have  I  known,  i.e.  having  power  to  choose  any  of 
the  various  peoples,  Jehovah  had  fixed  his  love  upon  Israel  only. 
This  conception  of  Jehovah  as  sustaining  an  especially  close  rela- 
tion to  Israel  was  shared  in  by  all  the  prophets  as  well  as  by  the 
nation  as  a  whole.  Therefore  I  will  visit  upon  you,  i.e.  special 
privilege  involves  corresponding  responsibility.  The  greater  the 
love  that  Israel  has  enjoyed,  the  more  heinous  are  her  sins. 

28 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS  3:6 


3.  Shall  two  walk  together, 

except  they  have  agreed  ?  ^ 

4.  Will  a  lion  roar  in  the  forest, 

when  he  hath  no  prey  ? 
Will  a  young  lion  cry  out  of  his  den, 
if  he  have  taken  nothing  ? 

5.  Can  a  bird  fall  in  a  snare  upon  the  earth,^ 

where  no  gin  is  set  for  him  ? 
Shall  a  snare  spring  up  from  the  ground, 
and  have  taken  nothing  at  all  ? 

6.  Shall  the  trumpet  be  blown  in  a  city, 

and  the  people  not  be  afraid  ? 
Shall  evil  befall  a  city, 
and  the  Lord  hath  not  done  it  ? 


1  m.  made  an  appointment.  Gr.  if  they  do  not  know  one  another.  2  Gr.  fall  upon 
the  ground. 

3.  The  prophet  now  cites  several  illustrations  of  the  law  of 
cause  and  effect,  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  the  proposition 
that  his  prophetic  message  has  been  given  him  by  Jehovah.  He 
is  under  a  prophetic  compulsion  to  speak  as  he  does.  Except 
they  have  agreed;  better,  are  agreed,  or  as  in  margin.  The 
fact  that  the  two  walk  together  is  the  result  of  an  underlying 
prior  cause. 

4.  The  lion's  roar  is  caused  by  the  proximity  or  the  possession 
of  prey.  Then  the  prey  may  well  tremble.  Israel  seems  deaf  to 
the  roar  of  the  lion  which  portends  her  destruction. 

5.  The  words  in  a  snare  may  be  mistaken  repetition  of  the 
word  snare  in  the  next  question.  The  first  question  then  be- 
comes simply  —  does  a  bird  fall  to  the  ground  without  any  cause? 
Or,  approached  from  another  side,  does  a  snare  spring  up  without 
cause?  Different  kinds  of  traps  for  catching  birds  and  small 
game  are  spoken  of  here. 

6.  The  trumpet  meant  is  that  which  indicates  the  approach  of 
an  enemy  to  the  attack.  The  people  do  well  to  be  afraid  when 
they  hear  it.  Evil  is  here  not  moral  evil,  but  calamity  or  disaster. 
Whenever  such  comes,  Jehovah  is  responsible  for  the  visitation. 
This  was  the  old  prophetic  theology,  which  made  all  disaster  due 
to  Jehovah's  wrath  against  sin. 

29 


3:7  THE   BOOK   OF  AMOS 


7.  Surely  the  Lord  God  will  do  nothing, 

but  he  revealeth  his  secret^  unto  his  servants 
the  prophets. 

8.  The  lion  hath  roared, 

who  will  not  fear  ? 
The  Lord  God  hath  spoken, 
who  can  but  prophesy  ? 

2.   Samaria'' s    Wickedness    would    astonish    Neighboring 
Peoples,  3  :  9-1 1 

9.  Publish  ye  in^  the  palaces^  at  Ashdod,^ 

and  in  ^  the  palaces  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  say, 
Assemble  yourselves  upon  the  mountains^  of  Samaria, 
and  behold  what  great  tumults^  are  therein, 
and  what  oppressions  in  the  midst  thereof. 

^  Gr.  his  instruction.  2  m.  ypon.  '  Gr.  lands.  ^  Gr.  in  the  Assyrians. 

6  Gr.  and  Syr.  mountain.        ^  Gr.  wonderful  things. 

7.  This  verse  reveals  the  assurance  of  Amos  that  he  knew  the 
full  purpose  of  Jehovah  regarding  Israel.  His  secret  is  the  plan 
or  purpose  known  only  to  himself  and  to  those  to  whom  he  chooses 
to  reveal  it.  The  prophets  are  favored  with  the  possession  of  this 
purpose.  Consequently,  when  they  speak,  men  should  listen 
eagerly. 

8.  The  lion  hath  roared,  i.e.  warning  of  disaster  has  been  given. 
Those  who  have  heard  it  can  but  fear.  Hath  spoken,  i.e.  in  the 
ears  of  his  people ;  and  the  message  is  so  clear  and  plain  that  all 
should  be  able  to  prophesy.  Amos  thus  represents  himself  as 
only  uttering  w^hat  has  been  clearly  revealed  by  Jehovah  and 
should  be  discerned  by  all.  Perhaps  he  alludes  here  to  certain 
events  or  conditions  in  western  Asia  which  seemed  to  him  to 
threaten  destruction  to  Israel.  In  any  case,  he  is  speaking  the 
truth  of  Jehovah  and  Israel  should  listen.  Such  preaching  is 
not  without  significance  and  may  not  be  safely  ignored. 

9.  The  prophet  conceives  of  Samaria's  sins  as  so  great  that  if 
the  nobles  of  Philistia  and  Egypt  were  to  see  them  for  themselves, 
they  would  be  stricken  with  astonishment  or  horror.  Mountains 
is  better  read  in  the  singular,  with  Gr.  and  Syr.,  since  Samaria 

30 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


10.  For  they  know  not  to  do  right/  saith  the  Lord, 

who  store  up  violence  and  robbery  in  their  palaces. 

11.  Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  God, 

An  adversary  tliere  shall  be,  even  round  about  the 
land :  2 
And  he  shall  bring  down  thy  strength  from  thee, 
and  thy  palaces  shall  be  spoiled. 

3.    The  Luxury  and  Splendor  of  Samaria  and  Bethel  will  be 
brought  to  Nothing,  3  :  12-15 

12.  Thus  saith  the  Lord  : 

As  the  shepherd  rescueth  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  lion 
two  legs,  or  a  piece  of  an  ear ; 

1  Gr.  not  the  things  which  shall  he  before  her.     Syr.  not  to  do  reproof.  2  Gr.  Tyre 

round  about  —  thy  land  will  be  deserted.  Vg.  The  land  will  be  oppressed  and  surrounded. 
Syr.  An  enemy  will  march  about  the  land. 

here  denotes  the  city,  not  the  kingdom  as  a  whole.  Samaria  was 
splendidly  situated,  upon  a  hill  about  300  feet  high,  and  was 
strongly  fortified.  The  Assyrians  besieged  it  for  three  years, 
before  they  could  conquer  it.  The  social  wrongs  of  the  city  ap- 
peared so  terrible  to  the  simple,  but  clear-sighted  countryman, 
that  he  describes  them  as  tumults.  The  normal  social  order  is 
turned  upside  down.  Chaos  and  confusion  rule  in  the  moral 
world. 

10.  They  laiow  not,  i.e.  they  have  become  so  habituated  to 
wrong-doing  that  they  have  forgotten  how  to  do  right.  _  It  is 
second  nature  for  them  to  rob  and  defraud.  That  Amos  is  here 
describing  the  rich  is  clear  from  the  phrase  in  their  palaces.  The 
prophets  were  always  the  defenders  of  the  poor.^  By  robbery 
and  violence  are  meant  the  wealth  and  luxury  obtained  by  unjust 
and  oppressive  methods. 

11.  An  adversary,  etc.;  this  sentence  is  very  difficult  and 
obscure  in  the  Hebrew  and  is  probably  corrupted  from  a  better 
text,  which  is  represented  by  the  Syriac  translation.  In  any  case, 
a  foreign  invasion  is  here  threatened.  The  strength  and  pride  of 
the  land,  viz.  the  palaces,  are  to  be  laid  low.  That  which  the 
rich  owners  have  gained  by  robbery  of  the  weak  will  now  in  turn 
be  spoiled,  i.e.  carried  off  as  plunder  by  the  invader. 

12.  The  note  struck  in  the  last  lines  of  the  foregoing  section  is 

31 


13  THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


So  shall  the  children  of  Israel  be  rescued  ^ 

that  sit  in  Samaria 
In  the  corner  of  a  couch, 

and  on  the  silken  cushions  of  a  bed.^ 

13.  Hear  ye,  and  testify  against  the  house  of  Jacob, 

saith  the  Lord  God,  the  God  of  hosts. 

14.  For  in  the  day  that  I  shall  visit  the  transgressions  of 

Israel  upon  him, 
I  will  also  visit  the  altars  of  Beth-el, 

1  Syr.  be  carried  away.  2  m.  According  to  some  ancient  versions  and  MSS.  in 

Damascus  on  a  bed. 


taken  up  again  here.  Two  legs,  or  a  piece  of  an  ear  represent 
the  fragments  gathered  up  by  the  shepherd  and  presented  as 
evidence  of  the  fate  that  had  befallen  his  sheep;  cf.  Exod.  22  :  13. 
Lions  were  a  common  foe  to  flocks  in  Palestine ;  cf .  i  Sam. 
17:34  f. ;  Gen.  37:33.  Just  as  the  sheep  was  practically  a 
total  loss,  so  will  Israel  be  almost  completely  destroyed.  Sit  in 
Samaria  in  the  comer  of  a  couch,  and  on  the  silken  cushions  of  a 
bed.  Whatever  the  precise  significance  of  these  references  to 
household  furniture  may  be,  the  general  meaning  is  clearly  a  pro- 
test against  the  self-indulgence  and  luxury  of  the  wealthy  nobles  of 
Samaria.     The  text  here  is  very  uncertain. 

13.  The  address  is  not  to  any  particular  persons,  but  is  of  a 
rhetorical  character.  House  of  Jacob  is  here  the  Northern  King- 
dom, as  appears  from  the  specific  mention  of  Bethel  in  v.  14. 
The  Lord  God,  the  God  of  hosts ;  this  is  the  only  appearance  of 
this  full  title  for  Jehovah  in  the  Old  Testament. 

14.  Visitation  for  sin  will  begin  at  the  sanctuary.  This  is 
not  due  to  any  objection  to  the  existence  of  a  shrine  at  Beth-el, 
for  the  attitude  of  exclusiveness  which  limited  all  worship  to  the 
temple  at  Jerusalem  did  not  become  the  law  of  the  land  till  the 
days  of  Josiah.  Bethel  was  one  of  the  oldest  sanctuaries  in  Israel ; 
cf.  Gen.  12:8;  35:7.  But  the  Israelites  were  indulging  in  a 
false  sense  of  security  on  the  ground  of  their  religion.  They 
believed  that  so  long  as  they  kept  up  the  performance  of  the  ritual 
and  observed  the  established  convention  in  morals  and  religion, 
they  could  be  sure  of  the  protection  of  Jehovah,  their  God.  But 
Amos  is  seeking  to  convince  Israel  that  the  religion  of  Jehovah  is  a 
far  deeper  and  more  searching  thing  than  they  have  supposed. 
They  do  not  know  the  character  of  Jehovah  and  thus  cannot 

32 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


And  the  horns  of  the  altar  shall  be  cut  off 
and  fall  to  the  ground. 
15.   And  I  will  smite  the  winter  house  with  the  summer 
house ; 
And  the  houses  of  ivory  shall  perish, 

and  the  great  ^  houses  shall  have  an  end, 
Saith  the  Lord. 

4.  The  Selfish  and  Besotted  Women  of  Samaria  are  doomed 
to  become  Exiles,  4 :  1-3 

4.   Hear  this  word,  ye  kine  of  Bashan, 

that  are  in  the  mountain  of  Samaria, 
Which  oppress  the  poor,  which  crush  the  needy, 
which  say  unto  their  lords.  Bring,  and  let  us  drink. 

1  m.  many. 

please  him  by  a  cultus  that  rests  upon  a  total  misunderstanding 
of  his  requirements.  Consequently  the  temples  which  Israel 
had  regarded  as  the  outward  assurance  of  its  safety  will  be  the 
first  to  fall  beneath  the  attack  of  the  foe.  No  more  startling 
message  than  this  could  have  been  delivered  to  his  generation  by 
Amos.  The  horns  of  the  altar  were  of  importance  in  the  celebra- 
tion of  certain  sacrifices  ;    cf .  Lev.  4  :  30. 

15.  The  winter  house  with  the  summer  house;  these  were 
probably  but  different  parts  of  one  and  the  same  structure ;  cf . 
Judg.  3  :  20 ;  Jer.  36  :  22.  One  of  the  inscriptions  recently  found 
at  Zinjirh,  in  northern  Syria,  sets  forth  the  work  of  Bar-rekub, 
King  of  Shamal,  a  vassal  of  Tiglath-pileser  IV  of  Assyria,  in 
decorating  the  palace  of  his  fathers,  and  says  of  the  result,  "it  is 
for  them  a  summer  house  and  a  winter  house."  Such  large  houses 
were,  of  course,  possible  only  for  the  rich.  Houses  of  ivory,  i.e. 
finished  or  adorned  with  ivory,  are  referred  to  also  in  i  Kings 
22  :  39  and  Ps.  25  :  8.  Ivory  was  of  course  very  costly ;  cf.  i  Kings 
10:  18. 

I.  Khie  of  Bashan,  a  derogatory  characterization  of  the 
women  of  Samaria  ;  cf.  Isa.  3:16;  4:1.  Bashan  lay  to  the  east 
of  the  Jordan,  north  of  the  river  Yarmuk,  and  was  famous  for  its 
pasturage  and  fat  cattle;  cf.  Mic.  7:  14;  Deut.  32:  14;  Ezek. 
39 :  18.    Which  oppress  the  poor,  which  crush  the  needy,  not 

D  33 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


2.  The  Lord  God  hath  sworn  by  his  holiness, 

that,  lo,  the  days  shall  come  upon  you, 
That  they  shall  take  you  away  with  hooks, 
and  your  residue  with  fish  hooks. ^ 

3.  And  ye  shall  go  out  at  the  breaches,  every  one  straight 

before  her ;  ^ 
and  ye  shall  cast  yourselves  into  Harmon,^ 
Saith  the  Lord. 

V.  Israel  has  failed  to  learn  by  Experience, 
4  •  4-13 

4.  Come  to  Beth-el,  and  transgress ; 

to  Gilgal,  and  multiply  transgression ; 

1  Gr.  burning  plagues  will  cast  you  into  caldrons  heated  from  beneath.  2  Qj-.  a;;j  yg 
shall  be  brought  forth  naked  before  one  another.  ^  m.  The  ancient  versions  vary  in 

their  rendering  of  this  clause.  The  text  is  probably  corrupt.  AV  and  ye  shall  cast  them 
into  the  palace.  AV  m.  and  ye  shall  cast  away  the  things  of  the  palace.  Gr.  and  you 
will  be  cast  out  into  the  mountain  Romman.  Vg.  aiid  you  will  be  cast  out  into  Armon. 
Syr.  and  they  will  be  cast  out  to  the  mountain  of  Armenia. 

directly,  but  through  the  demands  they  make  upon  their  lords. 
The  husbands  in  the  endeavor  to  gratify  the  wishes  of  their  sen- 
suous wives  are  driven  to  methods  which  involve  bringing  the 
poor  and  weak  to  destitution.  Let  us  drink;  cf.  Isa.  28 :  i  ff. 
A.11  this  suffering  is  brought  about  simply  to  provide  means  for  a 
debauch  on  the  part  of  the  rich  oppressors. 

2.  By  his  holiness,  i.e.  by  himself,  for  holiness  is  of  the  essence 
of  God.  Days,  i.e.  days  of  judgment  and  punishment.  Hooks, 
fish  hooks ;  the  figure  changes  here  apparently  from  cattle  to 
fish  and  suggests  the  total  helplessness  of  fish  when  caught  by 
hook  and  line ;  cf.  Hab.  1:14.  Your  residue,  i.e.  the  last  of  you ; 
not  one  shall  escape. 

3.  The  breaches  are  those  made  in  the  walls  of  the  city  by  the 
besieger.  They  are  to  go  out,  not  as  fugitives,  but  as  captives, 
marching  in  the  line  of  prisoners,  every  one  straight  before  her, 
i.e.  straight  ahead.  Shall  cast  yourselves  is  probably  better 
read  shall  be  cast.  Into  or  toivard  Harmon;  no  such  place  is 
elsewhere  mentioned.  Hence  its  location  is  unknown.  Indeed 
it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  we  have  a  place  name  here,  since 
the  text  is  hopelessly  corrupt.  See  the  renderings  of  the  versions 
cited  above. 

34 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS  4:6 


And  bring  your  sacrifices  every  morning, 
and  your  tithes  every  three  days ; 

5.  And  offer  a  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving  ^  of  that  which 

is  leavened,^ 
and  proclaim  freewill  offerings^  and  publish  them  :^ 
For  this  liketh  you,  O  ye  children  of  Israel, 
saith  the  Lord  God. 

6.  And  I  also  have  given  ^  you 

cleanness^  of  teeth  in  all  your  cities, 

1  Gr.  and  they  read  outside  of  law.         2  Targ.  of  violence.  *  Syr.  and  vow  vows. 

4  Syr.  and  pay.  Gr.  joins  with  following  clause  and  renders,  announce  that  the 
children  of  Israel  loved  these  things.  ^  Gr.  will  give.  ^  Gr.  toothache.  Syr.  and  Targ. 
bluntness. 

4.  Come  to  Beth-el,  etc.  The  request  is  ironical,  as  the  re- 
mainder of  the  clause  clearly  indicates.  The  prophet  practically 
condemns  the  whole  cultus,  wherever  carried  on.  The  reason 
for  this  is  that  Israel  has  no  proper  conception  of  Jehovah  and 
thinks  to  guarantee  prosperity  by  zealous  performance  of  the 
ritual.  In  such  circumstances,  every  act  of  the  cultus  is  a  fresh 
insult  to  Jehovah.  Sacrifices  every  morning  and  tithes  every 
three  days  are  of  course  illustrations  of  extreme  zeal  in  the  cultus. 
The  Deuteronomic  law  (14:  28;  26:  12)  called  for  tithes  every 
three  years ;  let  the  Israelites  bring  them  every  three  days. 
Even  that  will  be  of  no  value,  so  long  as  the  fundamental  necessity 
of  the  religious  mind  is  lacking. 

5.  The  use  of  leavened  bread  in  the  sacrifices  in  general  was 
prohibited  by  the  early  law;  cf.  Exod.  23:  18.  But  its  use  in 
connection  with  the  thank-offering  is  especially  enjoined  in  Lev. 
7:13;  cf.  Lev.  2:11.  But  Amos  is  not  passing  judgment  upon 
the  question  whether  leavened  bread  was  or  was  not  legitimate  in 
sacrifice ;  he  is  rather  describing  the  cultus  as  it  was  actually 
conducted  and  condemning  the  shallow  optimism  that  regarded 
it  as  the  essential  thing  in  the  religion  of  Jehovah.  To  proclaim 
freewill  offerings,  which  were  voluntary  gifts  expressive  of  grati- 
tude to  Jehovah,  was  wholly  contrar}^  to  the  spirit  and  purpose 
of  such  offerings;  cf.  Luke  18:9-14;  Matt.  6  :  i  ff.  For  this 
liketh  you,  i.e.  so  you  love  to  do ;   cf.  Jer.  5:31. 

6.  And  I  also  have  given;  the  pronoun  "I"  is  emphatic 
and  may  be  given  its  proper  significance  thus,  and  yet  it  was^  I 
who  gave.  Israel  has  gone  on  blindly  and  heedlessly,  not  recogniz- 
ing in  the  calamities  that  have  befallen  her  the  purpose  of  these 

35 


4:7 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


And  want  of  bread  in  all  your  places  : 
yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord. 

7.  And  I  also  have  withholden  the  rain  from  you, 

when  there  were  yet  three  months  to  the  harvest : 
And  I  caused  it  to  rain  upon  one  city, 

and  caused  it  not  to  rain  upon  another  city : 
One  piece  was  rained  upon, 

and  the  piece  whereupon  it  rained  ^  not  withered. 

8.  So  two  or  three  cities  wandered  ^  unto  one  city  to 

drink  water,  and  were  not  satisfied : 
Yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord. 

9.  I  have  smitten  you  with  blasting  and  mildew :  ^ 

the  multitude  of  ^  your  gardens  and  your  vineyards 

1  Gr.  7  -will  rain.        2  Gr.  imll  assemble.        s  Syr.  adds  and  with  hail.         *  Gr.  you 

have  multiplied. 

chastisements  from  Jehovah.  Famine  was  always  looked  upon 
in  Israel  as  due  to  the  wrath  of  Jehovah;  cf.  2  Sam.  21  :  i  ff. ; 
I  Kings  17:  I  ff.  Amos  protests  that  Israel  has  not  understood 
her  rebuke,  but  has  contented  herself  with  multiplying  sacri- 
fices to  Jehovah,  instead  of  turning  to  him  with  hearts  morally 
renewed.  Yet  have  ye  not  returned,  etc. ;  this  is  a  poetic  refrain 
occurring  at  the  close  of  the  several  stanzas  of  this  poem ;  cf .  vss. 
8,  9,  10,  II. 

7.  The  withholding  of  rain  at  a  time  within,  or  until,  three 
months  to  the  harvest  was  necessarily  fatal  to  the  crops.  The 
rainy  season  of  Palestine  continues  from  January  into  April. 
More  or  less  intermittent  showers  fall  from  October  through 
December.  But  the  rainfall  is  often  very  unevenly  distributed. 
Thomson,  for  example,  tells  of  having  seen  the  Jordan  valley 
dry  and  parched  when  the  region  around  Tiberias  was  clothed  in 
luxuriant  green,  with  abundant  flowers.  The  drought  here 
described  was,  of  course,  the  cause  of  the  famine  mentioned  in 
vs.  6 ;  but  it  is  enlarged  upon  in  order  to  bring  clearly  into  view 
the  pangs  of  thirst  it  involved. 

9.  The  blasting  was  that  caused  by  the  parching  east  wind 
(cf.  Isa.  27:8;  Ezek.  17:10);  while  the  mildew  was  brought 
about   by  a   combination   of    dampness   and    great   heat.     The 

36 


THE   BOOK  OF  AMOS 


4:11 


and  your  fig  trees  and  your  olive  trees  hath  the 

palmerworm  devoured : 
yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord. 

10.  I  have  sent  among  you  the  pestilence^  after  the  man- 

ner of  Egypt : 
your  young  men  have  I  slain  with  the  sword, 
and  have  carried  away  your  horses  ;^ 
And  I  have  made  the  stink  of  ^  your  camp*  to  come 

up  even  into  your  nostrils ; 
yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord. 

11.  I  have  overthrown  so7ne  among  you,  as  when  God 

overthrew  Sodom  and  Gomorrah, 
And  ye  were  as  a  brand  plucked  out  of  the  burning : 
yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord. 

1  Gr.  and  Vg.  death.  2  Heb.  with  the  captivity  of  your  horses.  3  Gr.  in  fire.  *  Syr. 
your  stench. 

multitude  of  represents  a  very  abnormal  construction  in  Hebrew ; 
it  is  probably  better  to  follow  many  scholars  here  and  translate, 
/  have  laid  waste.  The  palmerwonn,  literally  the  gnawer,  is  a 
designation  for  the  locust,  whose  ravages  were  among  the  worst 
scourges  that  could  befall  an  agricultural  people ;  cf .  7  :  i  f . 
The  combination  of  scourges  here  detailed  would  mean  practically 
the  destruction  of  all  the  means  of  subsistence. 

10.  After  the  manner  of  Egypt,  i.e.  terrible  and  devastating 
like  the  plagues  sent  upon  the  Egyptians  in  connection  with  the 
Exodus  of  the  Hebrews.  The  young  men  slain  with  the  sword 
are  probably  those  who  had  fallen  in  the  long  struggle  between 
Israel  and  Damascus;  cf.  2  Kings  8  :  12,  28  ;  io:32f. ;  13:3-7, 
22-25.  Horses  seem  to  have  been  looked  upon  with  particular 
disfavor  by  some  of  the  religious  leaders  of  Israel,  because  the 
use  of  them  in  war  seemed  to  be  a  confession  of  distrust  in 
Jehovah's  power  to  deliver  his  people;  cf.  Deut.  17:  16;  Isa. 
30:  16;  Ps.  20:  7;  33:  17.  The  stink  of  your  camp  doubtless 
means  the  stench  arising  from  the  corpses  of  the  slain,  which  also 
gave  rise  to  the  pestilence  already  mentioned. 

11.  I  have  overthrown  among  you,  i.e.  probably  by  an  earth- 
quake or  volcanic  eruption  involving  the  destruction  of  one  or 
more  towns.     The  overthrow  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  is  an  illus- 

37 


12  THE   BOOK  OF   AMOS 


12.  Therefore  thus^  will  I  do  unto  thee,  O  Israel : 

and  because  I  will  do  this  unto  thee, 
prepare  to  meet^  thy  God,  O  Israel. 

13.  For,  lo,  he  that  formeth  the  mountains,^  and  createth 

the  wdnd, 

and  declareth  unto  man  what  is  his  thought,^ 
That  maketh  the  morning  darkness, 

and  treadeth  upon  the  high  places  of  the  earth ; 
The  Lord,  the  God  of  hosts,  is  his  name. 


1  Vg.  these  things.  Tg.  wJiat.  2  Qr.  and  Syr.  to  call  upon.  ^  Gr.  he  that  takes 
away  thunder.  *  Gr.  man  his  anointed.  Syr.  how  great  is  his  glory.  Tg.  what  are  his 
works.    Vg.  his  declaration. 


tration  of  the  completeness  and  terror  of  the  destruction  that 
has  come;  cf.  Gen.  chap.  19.  A  brand  plucked  out  of  the  burn- 
ing betokens  a  marvellous  deliverance.  Vss.  12  and  13  are  quite 
generally  conceded  to  be  a  later  addition  to  the  prophecy,  which 
has  been  substituted  for  something  that  was  more  definite  and 
specific  and  so  better  suited  to  the  needs  of  Amos's  times  than  to 
those  of  later  ages. 

12.  Therefore,  i.e.  because  past  corrections  have  been  of  no 
avail.  Thus  is  b}^  reason  of  its  very  indefiniteness  more  terrible 
and  affrighting  than  a  specific  statement  might  have  been.  It 
looks  forward  to  punishments  to  come  and  not  backward  upon 
those  already  experienced.  The  scope  of  this  is  identical  with 
that  of  the  preceding  "  thus."  Prepare  to  meet  thy  God  is  a 
call  to  repentance.  Israel  is  urged  to  present  herself  before  God 
in  such  a  state  of  mind  as  to  appease  his  wrath  that  she  may  thus 
escape  the  threatened  doom. 

13.  This  catalogue  of  the  activities  of  Jehovah  is  to  em- 
phasize the  impossibility  of  resisting  or  escaping  his  power  and 
therefore  the  necessity  of  seeking  his  pardon.  He  made  the 
visible  world  and  he  sustains  it  with  all  of  its  phenomena  as  only 
an  omnipotent  God  could.  He  makes  and  controls  the  winds 
and  storms  and  causes  the  interchange  of  darkness  and  light. 
What  is  his  thought ;  the  translation  of  this  clause  is  very  uncer- 
tain ;  cf .  the  renderings  of  the  Versions  cited  above.  The  text  is 
probably  corrupt.  If  RV  be  the  correct  rendering,  it  seems  to 
mean  that  Jehovah  is  lord  not  only  of  the  outer  world,  but  also 
of  the  thoughts  of  men,  which  have  their  source  in  him. 

38 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS  5:4 


VI.  The  Doom  of  Israel  and  her  Way  of  Escape, 

5:1-17 

I.  A  Dirge  over  Prostrate  Israel,  5  :  1-6 

5.       Hear  ye  this  word  which  I  take  up  for  a  lamenta- 
tion over  you,  O  house  of  Israel. 

2.  The  virgin  of  Israel  is  fallen ; 

she  shall  no  more  rise : 
She  is  cast  down  ^  upon  her  land ; 
there  is  none  to  raise  her  up. 

3.  For  thus  saith  the  Lord  God  : 

The  city  that  went  forth  a  thousand 

shall  have  a  hundred  left, 
And  that  which  went  forth  a  hundred  shall  have  ten 
left, 

to  the  house  of  Israel. 

4.  For  thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  the  house  of  Israel, 

1  m.  lieth  forsaken. 

1.  A  lamentation,  i.e.  the  dirge  that  was  chanted  upon  the 
occasion  of  the  death  of  an  individual;  cf.  2  Sam.  i  :  17;  Ezek. 
28:  12;  32:  2;  2  Chron.  35:  25.  The  dirge  continues  through 
vs.  3.  The  prophet  pronounces  this  dirge  in  anticipation  of  the 
downfall  or  death  of  the  nation.  He  transports  himself  and  his 
audience  in  imagination  to  the  days  following  the  disaster  he 
expects,  and  he  speaks  from  the  standpoint  of  that  future  time. 
House  of  Israel  here  means  the  Northern  Kingdom,  as  appears 
from  the  mention  of  the  "  house  of  Joseph  "  in  vs.  6. 

2.  Virgin  of  Israel  occurs  here  for  the  first  time  ;  its  only  other 
appearances  are  Jer.  18  :  13;  31  '.4,  21.  The  point  of  the  figure  is 
probably  in  that  it  represents  Israel  as  free  and  untrammelled  by 
the  yoke  of  any  foreign  master.  Her  condition  will  be  hopeless, 
there  being  none  to  raise  her  up. 

3.  The  population  will  be  almost  wiped  out,  having  only  one 
tenth  left  of  its  former  numbers.  The  reference  may  be  merely 
to  the  fighting  strength  of  the  people,  but  it  is  more  natural  to 
apply  the  statement  to  the  population  as  a  whole. 

39 


5:5 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


Seek  ye  me,  and  ye  shall  live : 

5.  but  seek  not  Beth-el, 
Nor  enter  into  Gilgal, 

and  pass  not  to  Beer-sheba : 
For  Gilgal  shall  surely  go  into  captivity, 
and  Beth-el  shall  come  to  nought.^ 

6.  Seek  the  Lord,  and  ye  shall  live ; 

lest  he  break  out  like  fire  in  the  house  of  Joseph,^ 
And  it  devour  and  there  be  none  to  quench  it  in 
Beth-el :» 


1  m.  become  vanity  (Heb.  Avert).     Gr.  he  as  though  not  existing.     2  Gr.  lest  the  house 
of  Joseph  be  burned  like  fire.        ^  Gr.  for  the  house  of  Israel. 


4.  Seek  ye  me,  and  ye  shall  live :  but  seek  not  Beth-el,  etc. 
The  only  escape  from  the  destruction  just  described  as  awaiting 
Israel  is  to  be  found  through  seeking  Jehovah.  But  this  is  ex- 
actly what  the  Israelites  claimed  to  be  doing  in  all  their  cultus. 
Hence  Amos  proceeds  to  define  his  meaning  more  closely  by  set- 
ting the  worship  at  the  various  local  shrines  in  contrast  with  the 
worship  of  Jehovah.  Jehovah  is  truly  sought  only  when  the 
worshipper  is  intent  upon  doing  righteousness  and  justice.  No 
abundance  of  or  diligence  in  ritual  can  compensate  for  the  absence 
of  a  passion  for  the  right. 

5.  Beer-sheba  was  located  in  the  extreme  south,  being  com- 
monly contrasted  wuth  Dan  in  the  extreme  north,  as  representa- 
tive of  the  farthest  limits  of  Israel  in  those  directions.  It  was 
on  the  road  to  Egj^pt  and  thirty  miles  to  the  southwest  of  Hebron. 
It  is  not  likely  that  citizens  of  the  North  visited  Beersheba  in  any 
great  numbers ;  hence,  it  is  probably  mentioned  as  a  suggestion 
to  Judah  that  she  too  is  in  need  of  reformation.  Beth-el  shall 
come  to  nought  is  perhaps  better  read  Bethel  shall  become  Beth- 
aven,  i.e.  the  place  now  called  "house  of  God"  shall  become 
"  house  of  idolatry  "  ;  cf.  Hos.  4  :  15.  The  fate  of  Bethel  will  be 
a  warning  to  all  idolaters. 

6.  Break  out  like  fire  is  perhaps  better  read,  send  fire ;  cf . 
1:4,  7,10, 12,14;  2:2,5.  Beth-el  is  singled  out  as  representative 
of  the  entire  Northern  Kingdom,  since  it  was  the  centre  of  the 
cultus  which  was  so  far  removed  from  the  prophet's  ideal  of  true 
religion. 

40 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS  5:9 


2.  Israel  must  repent  and  forsake  her  Sins,  5  :  7-15 

7.  Ye  who  turn^  judgement  to  wormwood,^ 

and  cast  down^  righteousness  to  the  earth. 

8.  Seek  him  that  maketh  the  Pleiades  and  Orion,* 

and  turneth  the  shadow  of  death  ^  into  the  morning, 
And  maketh  the  day  dark  with  night ; 

that  calleth  for  the  waters  of  the  sea. 
And  poureth  them  out  upon  the  face  of  the  earth ; 

the  Lord  is  his  name ; 

9.  That  bringeth  sudden^  destruction  upon  the  strong, 

so  that  destruction^  cometh^  upon  the  fortress. 

1  Gr.  the  one  who  makes.  2  Gr.  the  summit.  '  Gr.  and  he  placed.  *  Gr.  that  maketh 
all  things  and  transformeth.  Yg.  Arcturus  and  Orion.  ^  m.  deep  darkness.  ^  Gi.  that 
distrihuteth.      ^  Gr.  sufering.      ^  All  versions,  he  bringeth.     m.  causeth. 

7.  The  English  Bible  connects  this  verse  with  the  foregoing 
context,  but  it  seems  to  belong  logically  with  the  following  para- 
graph. It  is  possible  that  some  introductory  words  have  been 
lost  from  the  beginning  of  the  verse.  Wormwood,  as  an  herb  con- 
sidered poisonous  by  the  ancients,  represents  the  total  perversion 
of  justice  and  right  of  which  the  leaders  and  officials  are  guilty. 

8.  Verses  8  and  9  are  evidently  unrelated  to  the  immediate 
context  and  are  probably  to  be  credited  to  some  late  editor.  The 
words  seek  him  are  not  in  the  Hebrew,  but  are  supplied  by  the 
English  versions  in  order  to  connect  this  passage  with  what 
precedes  it.  The  purpose  of  the  interpolation  is  to  set  forth 
clearly  and  strongly  the  great  power  of  Jehovah  whom  the  Israel- 
ites are  so  heedlessly  insulting  by  their  unethical  cultus  and  life ; 
cf,  4 :  13  ;  9:5,6.  The  Pleiades  and  Orion  are  chosen  as  two  of 
the  most  conspicuous  and  best-known  constellations  to  represent 
the  whole  heavens.  Shadow  of  death  is  better  translated  here 
and  everywhere  by  deep  darkness;  cf.  Ps.  23  :  4.  This  and  the 
following  phrase  describe  the  regular  unfailing  interchange  of 
day  and  night.  Calleth  for  the  waters  of  the  sea,  etc.,  this  de- 
scribes the  process  of  evaporation  by  which  the  clouds  are 
formed  and  rain  made  possible;    cf.  Job  36:  27. 

9.  He  whose  might  makes  and  sustains  the  order  of  nature  is 
the  one  who  also  bringeth  sudden  destruction  upon  the  strong. 
Nothing  is  able  to  resist  his  power.  So  that  destruction  cometh 
is  better  read,  with  all  the  versions,  so  that  he  bringeth  destruction. 

41 


5: 10  THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


10.  They  hate  him  that  rep  rove  th  in  the  gate, 

and  they  abhor  him  that  speaketh  uprightly.^ 

11.  Forasmuch  therefore  as  ye  trample  upon^  the  poor, 

and  take  exactions  from  him  of  wheat :  ^ 
Ye  have  built  houses  of  hewn  stone, 

but  ye  shall  not  dwell  in  them ; 
Ye  have  planted  pleasant  vineyards, 

but  ye  shall  not  drink  the  wine  thereof. 

12.  For  I  know  how  manifold  are  your  transgressions 

and  how  mighty  are  your  sins ; 
Ye  that  afflict  the  just,  that  take  a  bribe, 

and  that  turn  aside  the  needy  in  the  gate  from  their 
right. 

13.  Therefore  he  that  is  prudent  shall  keep  silence  in  such 

a  time ; 
for  it  is  an  evil  time."* 

1  Gr.  abhorred  a  pure  word.  2  Gr.  they  bufeted.  Vg.  you  plundered.  ^  Gr.  and 
took  choice  gifts  from  them.        *  Gr.  a  time  of  the  wicked. 

10.  The  thought  of  vs.  7  is  here  resumed.  Him  that  reproveth 
in  the  gate,  i.e.  any  one,  whether  an  official  or  a  private  person, 
who  rebukes  the  exercise  of  injustice  in  the  courts,  which  were 
held  at  the  gates  of  the  cities;  cf.  Deut.  22  :  15  ;  Ruth  4  :  i  ff . ;  i 
Kings  22  :  10. 

11.  Take  exactions  from  him  of  wheat;  the  excuse  upon 
which  such  demands  were  based  is  not  indicated.  Whatever 
it  was,  the  result  was  practically  a  tax  levied  upon  the  poor  by 
the  rich  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  their  own  wealth.  In 
return  for  this  tyrannical  oppression,  the  rich  are  to  be  deprived 
of  all  these  things  that  they  hold  so  dear,  by  being  driven  into 
exile;    cf.  Zeph.  i:  13;    Mic.  6:  15. 

12.  This  verse  enters  upon  a  further  specification  of  the  sins 
of  Israel's  rich  and  powerful  classes.  Afflict  the  just,  etc.  i.e. 
they  condemn  the  innocent  in  suits  at  law,  and  to  this  end  they 
receive  bribes  from  the  parties  interested  in  the  perpetration  of 
such  injustice,  so  that  the  needy  have  no  chance  in  the  gate,  i.e. 
in  the  courts.     Justice  is  for  sale  to  the  highest  bidder. 

13.  Prudent,  probably,  means  shrewd  and  cautious.  Such 
an  one  knows  that  protest  against  such  conditions  is  useless  and 

42 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


14.  Seek  good,  and  not  evil, 

that  ye  may  live : 
And  so  the  Lord,  the  God  of  hosts,  shall  be  with  you, 
as  ye  say. 

15.  Hate  the  evil,  and  love  ^  the  good, 

and  establish  judgement  in  the  gate : 
It  may  be  that  the  Lord,  the  God  of  hosts,  will  be 
gracious 
unto  the  remnant  of  Joseph. 

3.  Bitter  Grief  awaits  the  Israelites,  5  :  16-17 

16.  Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  hosts,  the 

Lord :  2 

1  Gr.  Just  as  you  say,  We  hate  the  evil  and  love.        2  Qj.  and  Syr.  omit  the  Lord. 

keeps  silence,  lest  speech  may  get  him   into  disfavor  with   the 
influential  rich. 

14.  This  is  really  a  threat  to  the  effect  that  unless  they  do 
seek  good,  destruction  awaits  them;  cf.  vss.  4,  15.  And  so; 
better  that  so,  i.e.  if  you  do.  God  of  hosts  shall  be  with  you, 
as  ye  say ;  i.e.  Israel  prides  itself  on  being  the  people  of  Jehovah 
and  is  certain  that  Jehovah  can  and  will  do  nothing  but  good  for 
his  nation;  cf.  Mic.  3:11;  Jer.  7  :  10.  But  Amos  declares  that 
the  exercise  of  the  favor  of  Jehovah  toward  Israel  is  conditioned 
upon  the  good  character  and  conduct  of  the  nation's  leaders. 
Jehovah  is  under  no  obligation  to  treat  Israel  generously  and 
kindly,  unless  the  people  conform  their  lives  to  the  high  moral 
standard  he  has  set  for  them.     Shall  be  is  rather  may  be. 

15.  It  may  be;  the  prophet  does  not  feel  sure.  The  sins  of 
Israel  may  have  been  so  numerous  and  heinous  that  no  change  of 
heart  at  this  late  date  can  turn  aside  the  punishment  due.  The 
remnant  of  Joseph  means  the  Northern  Kingdom  as  a  whole  in 
its  present  reduced  and  depleted  condition.  The  long  wars  with 
Syria,  though  now  over,  had  decimated  the  population  and  wasted 
the  land,  so  that  even  though  prosperity  was  once  more  enjoyed 
under  Jeroboam,  yet  as  compared  with  the  kingdom  of  the  days  of 
Omri  and  Ahab  Amos  looks  upon  the  present  population  as  a 
mere  remnant  of  the  former  greatness. 

16.  In  a  closing   paragraph,  Amos  for  the  third   time  in  this 

43 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


Wailing  shall  be  in  all  the  broad  ways ; 

and  they  shall  say  in  all  the  streets,  Alas  !  alas  ! 
And  they  shall  call  the  husbandman  to  mourning, 

and  such  as  are  skilful  of  lamentation  to  wailing.^ 

17.  And  in  all  vineyards  ^  shall  be  wailing : 

for  I  will  pass  through  the  midst  of  thee,  saith  the 
Lord. 

VII.  The  Doom  of  Exile,  5 :  18-27 

18.  Woe  unto  you  that  desire  the  day  of  the  Lord  ! 

wherefore  would  ye  have  the  day  of  the  Lord  ? 
it  is  darkness,  and  not  light. 


1  m.  Heb.  and  proclaim  wailing  to  such  as  are  skilful  of  lamentation.     Vg.  and  to 
wailing  those  who  know  how  to  wail.        ^  Gr.  ways. 


oracle  announces  the  approaching  doom.  Wailing,  i.e.  for  the 
dead  and  for  the  stricken  nation.  The  address  closes  with  the 
note  upon  which  it  began ;  cf .  s  :  i  f .  The  broad  ways  are  the 
open  spaces  near  the  gates  where  justice  has  so  often  been  set 
at  naught.  The  husbandman  will  be  involved  as  well  as  the 
denizen  of  the  city.  The  mourning  will  be  universal,  reaching 
all  classes.  Skilful  of  lamentation  designates  professional 
mourners. 

17.  In  all  vineyards,  i.e.  where  joy  is  usually  at  its  highest. 
Pass  through,  even  as  he  had  done  in  Egypt;  cf.  Exod.  11:4. 
The  form  of  the  punishment  is  left  indefinite ;  war  or  pestilence 
is  most  probable. 

18.  You  that  desire  the  day  of  the  Lord ;  there  were  evidently 
many  who  were  confident  of  Jehovah's  favor  toward  Israel  and 

■were  impatiently  longing  for  the  coming  of  Jehovah's  day  of 
punitive  wrath  upon  the  nations  at  large,  the  enemies  of  Israel. 
The  result  of  this  day,  as  they  are  anticipating,  will  be  the  down- 
fall of  all  the  foes  of  Israel  and  the  political  elevation  and  exalta- 
tion of  Israel  itself.  But  Amos  warns  them  that  it  is  darkness, 
and  not  light.  They  are  totally  mistaken  in  their  expectations 
regarding  the  character  of  Jehovah's  day.  Instead  of  deliver- 
ance and  glory  for  Israel,  it  will  bring  chastisement  and  humilia- 
tion. 

44 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS  5:23 


19.  As  if  a  man  did  flee  from  a  lion, 

and  a  bear  met  him ; 
Or  ^  went  into  the  house  and  leaned  his  hand  on  the 
wall, 
and  a  serpent  bit  him. 

20.  Shall  not  the  day  of  the  Lord  be  darkness,  and  not 

light? 
even  very  dark,  and  no  brightness  in  it  ? 

21.  I  hate,  I  despise  your  feasts, 

and  I  will  take  no  delight-  in  your  solemn  assem- 
blies. 

22.  Yea,  though  ye  offer  me  your  burnt  offerings  and  meal 

offerings,^  I  will  not  accept  them : 
neither  will  I  regard  the  peace  offerings  ^  of  your 
fat  beasts. 

23.  Take  thou  away  from  me  the  noise  of  thy  songs ; 

for  I  will  not  hear  the  melody  of  thy  viols. 


1  m.  and.        2  Heb.  will  not  smell.    Gr.  adds  sacrifices.        » m.  burnt  offerings  with 
your  meal  offerings.        *  m.  thank  offerings. 


19.  The  punishment  that  awaits  Israel  will  be  inevitable. 
Any  attempt  to  escape  will  be  simply  avoiding  Scylla  and  falling 
into  Charybdis.  Went  into  the  house,  the  place  of  greatest 
natural  security,  only  to  have  a  serpent  bite  him  there ;  probably, 
one  hidden  in  a  crevice  of  the  wall. 

21.  No  amount  of  ritualistic  ceremonies  can  appease  the 
wrath  of  Jehovah.  Feasts  and  the  like,  as  they  are  now  con- 
ducted, are  but  an  additional  aggravation  to  Jehovah.  Take 
no  delight  in ;  the  literal  Hebrew  idiom  (see  above)  is  a  survival 
from  an  earlier  stage  of  thought,  when  the  gods  were  conceived  of 
as  actually  smelling  the  odor  of  the  sacrifices;  cf.  Gen.  8:21; 
Exod.  29 :  41 ;  30 :  38.  The  Babylonian  story  of  the  flood  says 
that  "  the  gods  inhaled  the  sweet  savor,  the  gods  gathered  like 
flies  around  the  sacrifice." 

23.  This  is  one  of  the  earliest  testimonies  to  the  use  of  in- 
strumental music  in  the  sacred  ritual ;  cf.  2  Sam.  6:5;  Is.  30 :  32 ; 
Amos  8 :  10. 

45 


5:24  THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


24.  But  let  judgement  roll  down  as  waters, 

and  righteousness  as  a  mighty  ^  stream. 

25.  Did  ye  bring  unto  me  sacrifices  and  offerings  ^ 

in  the  wilderness  forty  years,  O  house  of  Israel  ? 

26.  Yea,  ye  have  borne ^  Siccuth^  your  king^  and  Chiun^ 

your  images, 
the  star  of  your   god,  which  ye  made  to  your- 
selves. 


1  m.  everflowing.  2  m.  ^neal  oferings.  ^  m.  shall  take  up  .  .  .  And  I  will  cause, 
etc.  *  m.  the  tabernacle  of;  so  Gr.,  Syr.,  Vg.,  SV.  ^  Qr.  Syr.,  and  Vg.  all  take  as  the 
name  of  an  idol,  either  Molech  or  Milcom.      *  m.  the  shrine  of;  so  SV.     Gr.  Raiphan. 


24.  Let  judgement  roll  down  as  waters;  this  is  the  first  re- 
quirement of  Jehovah,  and  lacking  this,  all  else  is  useless.  A 
mighty  stream;  better,  a  perennial  stream;  i.e.  one  that  does 
not  dry  up  in  the  hot  season  as  so  many  of  the  winter  torrents  do. 

25.  Did  ye  bring,  etc.;  probably  better  rendered,  was  it 
sacrifices  and  offerings  that  you  brought,  etc.  ?  That  is,  were  the 
success  of  the  Exodus  and  the  care  of  Jehovah  for  Israel  during 
the  wanderings  dependent  upon  a  multiplicity  of  sacrificial  gifts, 
or  rather,  was  there  not  something  else  necessary  to  please 
Jehovah,  viz.  the  exercise  of  justice  and  right? 

26.  Yea,  ye  have  borne;  this  is  probably  better  treated  as 
a  threat,  for  the  future,  viz.  And  so  you  shall  carry,  i.e.  into 
exile,  the  following  idolatrous  objects ;  cf .  Isa.  46  :  i  f .  Siccuth 
your  king  and  Chiun  your  images,  the  star  of  your  god,  v/hich, 
etc. ;  perhaps,  this  should  be  read,  Saccuth,  your  king  and  Keivan, 
your  god,  {the  star,)  your  images,  which  etc.  Saccuth  is  a  title  of  the 
Assyrian  god  Saturn,  and  Kewan  is  the  regular  Assyrian  name  of 
the  same  god.  The  word  star  is  a  marginal  note  pointing  out  the 
character  of  this  god,  which  has  found  its  way  into  the  text. 
For  the  change  in  the  order  of  words  here  suggested,  cf.  the 
rendering  of  Gr.,  viz.  "  the  tent  of  Moloch  and  the  star  of  your 
god  Raiphan,  their  images,"  etc.  It  seems  necessary  to  conclude 
that  this  whole  vs.  originated  after  the  times  of  Amos  and  found 
its  way  into  his  book.  Amos  elsev/here  makes  very  little  of  the 
charge  of  idolatry,  a  sin  of  so  serious  a  nature  that  he  could  not 
have  minimized  or  ignored  it,  if  he  had  been  conscious  of  its 
presence  in  any  alarming  degree.  Furthermore,  the  worship  of 
Assyrian  gods  came  in  first  in  the  later  days,  after  Assyrian  in- 
fluence and  control  had  become  dominant  in  Palestine. 

46 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


27.   Therefore  will  I  cause  you  to  go  into  captivity  be- 
yond Damascus, 
saith  the  Lord,  whose  name  is  the  God  of  hosts. 

VIII.   The   Fate  of   the   Careless   Rich,   6 : 1-7 

6.    Woe  to  them  that  are  at  ease  in^  Zion, 

and  to  them  that  are  secure  in  the  mountain  of 
Samaria, 
The  notable  men  of  the  chief  of  the  nations 
to  whom  the  house  of  Israel  comeP 
2.   Pass  ye  unto  Calneh,  and  see ; 

and  from  thence  go  ye  to  Hamath  the  great: 

1  Gr.  and  Syr.,  who  despise.  2  Gr.  they  heat  down  authorities  of  nations ;  and  entered 
in  themselves.  0  house  of  Israel,  pass,  etc.  Syr.  nations,  and  spoil  for  themselves  the 
house  of  Israel. 

27.  Captivity,  in  the  form  of  the  deportation  of  whole  com- 
munities into  foreign  lands  as  is  here  threatened,  was  first 
practised  by  the  Assyrians  as  far  as  we  can  discover,  having  been 
an  original  feature  of  the  policy  of  Tiglath-pileser  I  (about  iioi- 
iioo  B.C.).  Amos  nowhere  distinctly  names  the  Assyrians  as 
the  agents  of  Jehovah's  punishment  upon  Israel ;  but  in  the 
phrase  beyond  Damascus  he  most  probably  has  them  in  mind. 
As  a  matter  of  history,  the  end  of  the  Northern  Kingdom  and  the 
deportation  of  its  people  were  brought  about  by  Assyria  in  the 
years  734-722  B.C. 

1.  At  ease  in  Zion;  the  prevailing  spirit  in  both  Zion  and 
Samaria,  among  the  rich  and  powerful,  is  one  of  untroubled  con- 
fidence and  security.  They  are  conscious  of  no  shortcomings 
or  offences  which  should  give  cause  for  any  alarm  regarding  the 
future.  Here  again  Amos  shows  that,  while  his  message  is  pri- 
marily to  the  Northern  Kingdom,  he  does  not  regard  the  South 
as  blameless,  nor  as  destined  to  escape  punishment.  The  notable 
men  of  the  chief  of  the  nations ;  better,  with  a  slight  change  of 
text,  note  the  chief  of  the  nations,  which  is  continued  by,  and 
enter  into  them,  0  house  of  Israel,  a  better  interpretation  in  this 
context  than  to  whom  the  house  of  Israel  come.  With  this 
translation,  vs.  i  is  naturally  continued  by  vs.  2. 

2.  Calneh  is  not  yet  definitely  identified ;  hence  nothing  is 
known  of  the  event  to  which  Amos  here  refers.     Hamath  the 

47 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


Then  go  down  to  Gath  of  the  Philistines : 
are  they  better  than  these  kingdoms  ? 
or  is  their  border  greater  than  your  border  ? 
3.   Ye  that  put  far  away  ^  the  evil  day, 

and  cause  the  seat  ^  of  violence  to  come  near ; 

1  Gr.  Those  coming  to.    Syr.  Those  awaiting.    Vg.  Ye  who  are  separated  from.    2  Gr. 
the  Sabbath. 


great  was  the  capital  of  Hamath,  a  state  in  northern  Syria,  situated 
on  the  Orontes.  It  was  repeatedly  engaged  in  hostilities  with 
Assyria,  to  which  it  was  almost  continuously  a  vassal.  The 
prophet  evidently  has  in  mind  some  recent  disaster  that  has 
left  Hamath  prostrate.  Gath  was  the  nearest  one  of  the  five 
chief  Philistine  cities  to  the  border  of  Israel.  According  to 
2  Chron.  26 :  6,  it  was  destroyed  by  Uzziah  of  Judah  about 
760  B.C.  Are  they  better  than  these  kingdoms?  or  is  their 
border  greater  than  your  border?  This  is  the  only  possible 
rendering  of  the  present  Hebrew  text.  The  natural  interpretation 
is  to  the  effect  that  Israel  has  no  cause  for  complaint,  since  her  suc- 
cess and  power  are  at  least  equal  to  that  of  her  most  influential 
neighbors.  The  questions  might  conceivably  call  for  an  affirma- 
tive answer,  thus  yielding  the  sense  that  Calneh  and  the  other 
capitals  were  indeed  larger  and  stronger  than  Israel  and  Judah, 
and  yet  they  have  fallen ;  let  Israel  and  Judah  take  warning. 
But  this  is  forcing  the  language.  It  is  better  to  change  the  text 
slightly  and  render,  Are  you  better  than  these  kingdoms?  Or  is 
your  border  greater  than  their  border?  This  yields  the  required 
sense  that  Israel  is  small  among  the  nations  and  has  no  warrant 
for  counting  upon  immunity  from  the  fate  that  has  overtaken 
her  stronger  neighbors. 

3.  Ye  that  put  far  away  the  evil  day;  some  were  longing  for 
the  coming  of  the  day  of  Jehovah,  in  the  conviction  that  it  could 
bring  nothing  but  good  to  Israel  (5  :  18) ;  there  were  others  who 
granted  the  possibility  or  probability  that  it  would  be  a  day  of 
disaster  for  Israel,  but  with  a  shallow  and  selfish  optimism  they 
persuaded  themselves  easily  that  there  was  no  likelihood  of  its 
immediate  or  speedy  coming  (cf.  Isa.  5:19);  it  might  descend 
upon  future  generations ;  but  why  concern  oneself  about  such 
far-off  and  hypothetical  troubles?  There  is  enough  to  keep  any 
man  bus}^  looking  after  his  interests  at  the  present  day.  And 
cause  the  seat  of  violence  to  come  near,  i.e.  they  encourage  the 
exercise  of  oppression,  instead  of  banishing  it  from  their  presence. 

48 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


4.  That  lie  upon  beds  of  ivory, 

and  stretch  themselves  upon  their  couches, 
And  eat  the  lambs  out  of  the  flock, 

and  the  calves  out  of  the  midst  of  the  stall ; 

5.  That  sing  idle  songs  to  the  sound  of  the  viol ; 

that  devise  for  themselves  instruments  of  music, 
like  David ;  ^ 

6.  That  drink  wine  in  bowls,^ 

and  anoint  themselves  with  the  chief  oils ; 

but  they  are  not  grieved  for  the  affliction  of  Joseph. 

7.  Therefore  now  shall  they  go  captive  with  the  first 

that  go  captive, 
and  the  revelry  of  them  that  stretched  themselves 
shall  pass  away. 

1  m.  like  David's.  2  m.  in  bowls  of  wine. 

4.  Beds  of  ivory,  i.e.  inlaid  with  ivory.  Sennacherib  carried 
away  such  couches  from  Judah  as  valuable  plunder  in  the  days 
of  Hezekiah.  Calves  out  of  the  midst  of  the  stall ;  i.e.  especially 
fed  and  fattened. 

5.  Smg  idle  songs;  better,  improvise  silly  songs,  a  caustic 
characterization  of  their  efforts  in  music.  Devise  for  themselves 
instnmients  of  music,  like  David;  not  satisfied  with  existing 
means  of  musical  expression,  they  invent  new  ones.  While  the 
masses  toil  and  suffer,  these  indifferent  rich  waste  time  upon 
foolish  trifles.  This  is  one  of  the  earliest  statements  testifying  to 
the  belief  that  David  was  possessed  of  great  musical  skill. 

6.  Drink  wine  in  bowls ;  the  use  of  wine  is  forbidden  by 
Mohammed  and  has  always  been  placed  under  the  ban  by  the 
Bedouin.  To  Amos,  the  champion  of  the  poor  and  the  exponent 
of  the  simple  life,  such  reckless  indulgence  was  criminal.  But 
they  are  not  grieved  for  the  affliction  of  Joseph ;  occupied  fully 
with  their  revelry  and  debauch,  thej^  have  no  time  nor  inclination 
to  realize  the  stricken  state  of  their  country,  the  destruction  of 
which  is  inevitable. 

7.  Those  who  have  been  the  leaders  in  the  sins  of  the  day  will 
be  the  first  to  go  into  captivity.  They  have  led  the  way  in  the 
introduction  and  adoption  of  foreign  customs  in  religious  and 
social  life  ;  they  shall  lead  the  way  into  exile  among  the  foreigners 

E  49 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


IX.  The  Desolation  of  Samaria,  6:8-14 

8.  The  Lord  God  hath  sworn  by  himself, 

saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  hosts : 
I  abhor  the  excellency^  of  Jacob, 
and  hate  his  palaces: 

therefore  will  I  deliver  up^  the  city  with  all  that  is 
therein. 

9.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  there  remain  ten  men 
10.   in   one   house,  that   they  shall  die.^    And  when  a 

.  man's  uncle  ^  shall  take  him  up,  even  he  that  burn- 
eth  him^  to  bring  out  the  bones  out  of  the  house, 
and  shall  say  unto  him  that  is  in  the  innermost  parts 
of  ^  the  house,'  Is  there  yet  any  with  thee  ?   and  he 


1  m.  pride.  2  Gr.  I  will  lift  up.  ^  Gr.  adds  and  (he  rest  will  be  left  behind. 

*  _m.  kinsman.  Gr.  And  their  neighbours  will  take.  *  Qr.  and  will  treat  with  unlawful 
molence.    Syr.  or  he  who  is  to  bury  him.  ^  Gr.  and  Syr.  omit  the  innermost  parts  of. 

whom  they  have  so  foolishly  aped.  And  the  revelry  of  them 
that  stretched  themselves  shall  pass  away;  better,  and  the  pro- 
cession of  the  dissolute  shall  depart. 

8.  By  himself;  only  elsewhere  in  Jer.  51  :  14;  cf.  Gen.  22:  16; 
Numb.  14:  28;  Amos  4:2;  Hebr.  6:13.  Excellency;  better, 
glory  or  pride ;  i.e.  the  things  of  which  Israel  is  proud.  The  city 
is,  of  course,  Samaria.  It  is  to  be  abandoned  by  Jehovah  to  the 
enemy. 

9-10.  These  verses  are  almost  certainly  a  later  addition, 
expanding  the  description  of  the  destruction  of  Samaria  by  the 
contribution  of  some  concrete  detail.  The  late  origin  is  shown  by 
the  lack  of  both  poetic  form  and  poetic  tone  and  by  the  fact  that 
the  narrative  furnishes  a  smooth  connection  when  these  verses 
are  removed.  They  describe  the  destruction  wrought  by  a 
plague,  whereas  the  context  deals  with  a  storming  of  the  city  by 
besiegers.  Ten  men  in  one  house  would  be  an  unusually  large 
number  for  the  average  house,  and  these  ten  are  but  a  remnant 
of  a  larger  household.  The  conditions  are  applicable  only  to  the 
palaces  of  the  rich.  But  even  this  handful  of  survivors  shall  die, 
all  at  least  save  one  (vs.  10).  A  man's  tmcle;  Hebrew,  his  uncle, 
i.e.  the  survivor's  uncle.  Even  he  that  bumeth  him;  Hebrew, 
and  his  burner ;   i.e.  the  one  that  burns  the  spices  and  incense  at 

50 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS  6:13 


shall  say,  No ;  then  shall  he  say,  Hold  thy  peace ;  for 
we  may  not  make  mention  of  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

11.  For,  behold,  the  Lord  commandeth, 

And  the  great  house  shall  be  smitten^  with  breaches, 
and  the  little  house  with  clefts. 

12.  Shall  horses  run  upon  the  rock  ? 

will  one  plow  there  with  oxen  ?  ^ 
That  ye  have  turned  judgement  into  gall, 

and  the  fruit  of  righteousness  into  wormwood : 

13.  Ye  which  rejoice  in  a  thing  of  nought, 

1  m.  he  will  smite  the  great  house.         2  Gr.  or  will  they  be  silent  among  females? 

the  burial;  cf.  Jer.  34:5;  2  Chron.  16:14;  21:19.  I^  the 
innermost  parts  of  the  house ;  the  sole  survivor  of  the  pestilence 
is  crouching  in  terror,  hidden  away  in  some  remote  corner  of  the 
house,  expecting  his  own  end  every  hour.  Then  shall  he  say, 
Hold  thy  peace !  The  utterance  of  him  who  has  gone  to  bury  the 
dead.  He  is  terrified  into  silence  by  the  scene.  For  we  may  not 
make  mention  of  the  name  of  the  Lord.  This  is  better  rendered  for 
one  must  not,  etc.,  and  regarded  as  the  statement  of  the  narrator 
of  the  scene,  rather  than  as  belonging  either  to  the  survivor  or  the 
"  burner."  This  represents  them  both  as  overwhelmed  by 
superstitious  terror,  afraid  even  to  mention  Jehovah's  name,  lest 
he  should  strike  them  dead.  In  Hebrew  thought,  the  name  and 
the  personality  were  closely  allied,  the  name  being  conceived  of 
as  actually  a  manifestation  or  part  of  the  personality.  Hence 
the  name  was  gifted  with  extraordinary  power  and  must  not  be 
spoken  carelessly.  Indeed,  in  late  Hebrew  usage  it  was  unlaw- 
ful to  pronounce  the  name  of  Jehovah  at  all. 

11.  The  great  house  and  the  little  house  include  all  the  dwell- 
ings of  the  city,  both  of  the  rich  and  of  the  poor.  The  city  will 
be  razed  to  the  ground. 

12.  Shall,  or  can,  horses  run  upon  the  rock?  This  is  an  un- 
natural and  well-nigh  impossible  thing.  Will  one  plow  there 
with  oxen?  The  word  there  is  not  in  the  Hebrew,  and,  in  its 
absence,  the  Hebrew  yields  no  suitable  meaning.  It  is  better, 
by  a  slightly  different  reading,  to  render,  can  one  plow  the  sea  with 
oxen?  This  is  another  unnatural  and  impossible  thing.  In 
just  such  abnormal  fashion  ye  have  turned  judgement  into  gall, 
etc.;   cf.  Deut.  29:  18. 

13.  Rejoice  in  a  thing  of  nought;    they  deceive  themselves, 

51 


6: 14  THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


which  say,  Have  we  not  taken 
to  us  horns  by  our  own  strength  ? 
14.   For,  behold,  I  will  raise  up  against  you  a  nation, 

O  house  of  Israel,  saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  hosts ; 
And  they  shall  afHict  you  from  the  entering  in  of 
Hamath 
unto  the  brook  of  the  Arabah. 

X.    Visions  of  Approaching  Judgment,  7 : 1-9 

I.   Devouring  Locusts,  7  :  1-3 

7.   Thus  the  Lord  God  shewed  me:   and,  behold,  he 
formed  ^  locusts 

1  Gr.,  Syr.,  Tg.  a  brood. 

supposing  to  be  something  worth  while  that  which  is  after  all 
nothing.  Taken  to  us  horns ;  i.e.  gotten  power,  the  horn 
being  a  symbol  of  strength;  cf.  Jer.  48:25;  Deut.  33:17; 
Ps.  75  :  5,  10.  They  boast  as  though  the  prosperity  of  the  reign 
of  Jeroboam  II  were  all  due  to  themselves,  whereas  they  coiild 
do  nothing  apart  from  Jehovah. 

14.  The  chastisement  for  all  this  wilful  sin  and  self-deception 
is  now  declared.  A  nation;  though  not  named,  the  agent  of 
Yahweh's  wrath  whom  Amos  had  in  mind  was  probably  Assyria ; 
cf.  5:27.  The  entering  in  of  Hamath  was  the  pass  through  the 
Lebanons,  at  the  southern  entrance  of  which  Dan  was  located ; 
cf.  2  Kings  14:  25;  Numb.  24:  8.  It  marks  the  extreme  north 
of  Israel's  territory.  The  brook  of  the  Arabah,  which  evidently 
indicates  the  extreme  southern  limit,  is  not  definitely  known. 
If  the  threat  applies  only  to  Northern  Israel,  this  must  have  been 
a  stream  flowing  into  the  northern  end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  But 
if  Judah  is  included  in  the  disaster  (cf.  vs.  i),  it  was  probably  the 
Wady-el-Hasy,  which  flows  into  the  southern  end  of  the  Dead 
Sea  and  separates  Moab  from  Edom,  or  the  Wady-el-Arish, 
known  as  "  the  brook  of  Egypt  " ;   cf.  Numb.  34  :  5. 

_  I.  It  is  not  improbable  that  these  visions  belong  to  the  be- 
ginning of  Amos's  ministry,  having  held  the  same  place  in  his 
experience  as  the  inaugural  visions  of  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  other 
prophets  had  held  in  theirs. 

I.  Formed;   better,  was  forming.    It  was  the  latter  growth 

52 


THE   BOOK   OF  AMOS  7:4 


In  the  beginning  of  the  shooting  up  of  the  latter  growth ; 
And,  lo,  it  was   the  latter  growth  after  the  king's 
mowings.^ 

2.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  when  they  made  an  end  of 

eating  the  grass  of  the  land, 
Then  I  said,  O  Lord  God,  forgive,  I  beseech  thee: 
how  shall  Jacob  stand  P^   for  he  is  small. 

3.  The  Lord  repented  concerning  this :  It  shall  not  be, 

saith  the  Lord.^ 

2.  A  Devastating  Drought j  7 :  4-6 

4.  Thus  the  Lord   God  shewed  me:   and,  behold,  the 

Lord  GoD'^  called  to  contend  by  fire  ;^ 

1  Gr.  there  was  a  locust,  one  Gog  the  king.  2  Gr.,  Syr.,  Vg.  who  will  raise  up  Jacob? 
'  Syr.  omits  saith  the  Lord.         *  Gr.  omits.         ^  Qx.  called  the  judgement  in  fire. 

after  the  king's  mowings;  this  is  probably  a  note  added  later 
for  the  purpose  of  fixing  the  precise  time  of  the  appearance  of  the 
locusts.  It  does  not  aid  us  much,  however;  for  we  know  noth- 
ing of  the  time  of  the  king's  mowings.  But  apparently  the  locusts 
were  so  timed  as  to  appear  when  the  rains  were  all  past  and  the 
new  grass  was  just  springing  up.  Thus  their  destructive  work 
would  completely  ruin  the  crops. 

2.  They  made  an  end  of  eating;  better,  by  a  slight  change  of 
text,  when  they  were  making  an  end,  etc.  The  sympathies  of 
Amos  were  aroused  and  he  interceded  with  Jehovah  to  put  a 
stop  to  the  destruction  of  Israel  before  it  was  too  late.  For  he  is 
small ;  the  very  weakness  and  insignificance  of  Israel  seem  to 
Amos  to  furnish  sufficient  basis  for  an  appeal  to  the  clemency  of 
Jehovah. 

3.  The  Lord  repented,  i.e.  relented  or  changed  his  purpose. 
For  other  cases  of  the  same  anthropomorphic  point  of  view,  cf. 
I  Sam.  15:35;  Jon.  3  :  9  ;  Gen.  6  :  7  ;  Joel  2  :  14.  Saith  the  Lord ; 
better,  said  the  Lord. 

In  this  vision,  y\mos  probably  describes  the  punishment  of 
Israel  as  he  had  first  conceived  of  it.  But  the  punishment  had 
been  withheld  and,  as  time  passed,  he  came  to  see  that  more 
stringent  measures  must  be  taken  by  Jehovah. 

4.  Called  to   contend;    for   similar   representations,  compare 

53 


7:5  THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


And    it    devoured  the  great  deep,  and  would  have 
eaten  up  the  land. 

5.  Then  said  I,  O  Lord  God,  cease,  I  beseech  thee  :  how 

shall  Jacob  stand  ?  for  he  is  small. 

6.  The  Lord  repented  concerning  this :  This  also  shall 

not  be,  saith  the  Lord  God.^ 

3.    The  Plumhline  of  Destruction,  7  :  7-9 

7.  Thus  he^  shewed  me:  and,  behold,  the  Lord  stood 

beside^  a  wall  made  by  a  plumbline,^  with  a 
plumbline  in  his  hand. 

8.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  me,  Amos,  what  seest  thou  ? 
And  I  said,  A  plumbline.  Then  said  the  Lord, 
Behold,  I  will  set  a  plumbline  in  the  midst  of  my 

people  Israel  ;• 

1  Syr.  omits  saith,  etc.,  as  in  vs.  3.  2  Qr.,  Vg.  the  Lord.  ^  Or,  upon.  *  Gr.,  Syr, 
a  wall  of  adamant. 

Isa.  3  :  13  f. ;  Hos.  4:1;  Mic.  6  :  2,  and  the  story  of  Elijah  and 
the  prophets  of  Baal  on  Mt.  Carmel  (i  Kings  18 :  19  ff.).  Those 
called  to  the  contest  are,  perhaps,  the  worshippers  of  other  gods 
than  Jehovah  within  Israel.  As  Jehovah  had  settled  the  question 
of  his  supremacy  by  fire  in  Elijah's  day,  so  now  he  proposes  the 
same  test  once  more.  But  the  fire  here  is  the  scorching  heat  of 
the  sun,  which  kills  all  vegetation.  The  great  deep  denotes  the 
"waters  underneath  the  earth"  (Exod.  20:4),  whence  all  the 
springs  and  wells  were  thought  of  as  being  supplied,  cf .  Gen.  7  :  11; 
Deut.  33:13;  Ps.  24:2.  All  the  streams  and  springs  were 
dried  up  and  it  seemed  as  though  the  very  land  itself  were  burn- 
ing up,  when  Amos  once  again  interceded  with  success. 

7.  Made  by  a  plumbline  is  probably  a  phrase  due  to  error  in 
the  transmission  of  the  text.  If  correct,  it  means  that  the  wall 
had  once  been  in  plumb ;  but  the  whole  vision  implies  that  it 
was  now  out  of  plumb  and  was  therefore  doomed  to  be  torn 
down.  The  plumbline  serves  simply  to  show  the  wall's  variation 
from  the  perpendicular ;  it  is  not  itself  an  instrument  of  de- 
struction;   cf.  Isa.  34:  11;    2  Kings  21:  13. 

8.  I  will  set  a  plumbline,  i.e.,  make  a  test  of  their  moral  and 
spiritual  condition  and  make  it  manifest  to  everybody.     Pass  by 

54 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


I  will  not  again  pass  by  them  any  more : 
9.   And  the  high  places  of  Isaac  ^  shall  be  desolate,  and 

the  sanctuaries 2  of  Israel  shall  be  laid  waste; 
And  I  will  rise  against  the  house  of  Jeroboam  with 

the  sword. 

XI.  Amos  charged  with  Conspiracy,  7 :  10-17 

10.  Then  Amaziah  the  priest  of  Beth-el  sent  to  Jero- 
boam king  of  Israel,  saying,  Amos  hath  conspired 
against  thee  in  the  midst  of  the  house  of  Israel :   the 

1  Gr.;  Syr.  of  laughter.  ^  Qr,  the  festivals. 

them,  ^".6.  forgive  them;  cf.  Mic.  7:  18;  Prov.  19:  11.  Jehovah, 
who  had  yielded  to  the  intercession  of  Amos  in  the  two  preceding 
visions,  now  forestalls  any  plea  on  his  part  by  declaring  his  de- 
cision to  punish  to  be  irrevocable. 

9.  The  high  places  of  Isaac  and  the  sanctuaries  of  Israel  are 
especially  denounced,  not  because  they  were  thought  of  as  illegal 
shrines,  for  the  worship  at  these  local  sanctuaries  was  not  pro- 
hibited by  law  until  the  adoption  of  the  Deuteronomic  Code  in 
the  days  of  Josiah ;  but  because  of  the  unspiritual  and  immoral 
character  of  the  worship  itself.  As  Amos  clearly  points  out 
again  and  again,  the  Israelites  had  no  true  conception  of  the 
character  of  Jehovah  and  of  the  requirements  for  pleasing  him. 
The  worship  at  these  shrines  was  conducted  for  the  purpose  of 
pleasing  Jehovah  and  thus  guaranteeing  prosperity  to  the  wor- 
shippers ;  the  destruction  of  the  shrines  was  the  most  convincing 
evidence  that  the  worship  was  useless.  I  will  rise  against  the 
house  of  Jeroboam  with  the  sword;  Amos  evidently  expected 
the  blow  to  fall  speedily.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Jeroboam's  son 
Zechariah  was  the  last  of  the  dynasty,  having  been  slain  by  the 
usurper,  Shallum.  But  the  "  sword  "  expected  by  Amos  was 
almost  certainly  the  army  of  Assyria,  and  this  did  not  molest 
Israel  until  the  reign  of  Menahem  (2  Kings  15  :  19),  while  actual 
war  did  not  come  till  the  time  of  Pekah  (2  Kings  15  :  29),  when 
Tiglath-pileser  carried  captive  a  large  part  of  the  population. 

10.  The  priest  of  Beth-el ;  evidently  not  the  only  priest  at 
this  great  shrine,  but  the  chief  priest.  This  shrine  with  its  priest- 
hood was  under  the  special  patronage  of  the  king  (vs.  13)  ;  hence 
Amaziah  was  especially  sensitive  to  attacks  upon   the  king  and 

55 


7:ii 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


11.  land  is  not  able  to  bear  all  his  words.  For  thus  Amos 
saith,  Jeroboam  shall  die  by  the  sword,  and  Israel 
shall  surely  be  led   away  captive  out   of  his   land. 

12.  Also  Amaziah  said  unto  Amos,  O  thou  seer,  go,  flee 
thee  away  into  the  land  of  Judah,  and  there  eat 

13.  bread,  and  prophesy  there :   but  prophesy  not  again 

felt  a  responsibility  to  keep  the  king  informed  regarding  all  such 
matters.  Amos  hath  conspired;  there  was  no  other  possible 
interpretation  of  such  words  as  those  spoken  by  Amos  in  vs.  9 
for  one  like  Amaziah,  whose  interests  were  almost  wholly  identical 
with  those  of  Jeroboam.  The  throne  of  the  Northern  Kingdom 
was  only  too  often  the  aim  of  conspirators ;  it  had  arisen  indeed 
in  conspiracy  (i  Kings  12)  and  had  already  seen  three  changes  of 
dynasty  due  to  the  same  cause  (i  Kings  15:27;  16:9,  16; 
2  Kings  9),  while  the  reigning  dynasty  in  turn  was  to  end  by  the 
same  method  in  the  days  of  Jeroboam's  son  (2  Kings  15  :  10). 
Hence  the  priest,  lacking  Amos's  profound  insight  and  high  con- 
ception of  personal  character,  naturally  looked  upon  his  words 
as  intended  to  foment  discontent  and  revolt.  The  land  is  not 
able  to  bear,  i.e.  such  talk  must  be  stopped  lest  it  create  a  state 
of  public  unrest  and  dissatisfaction  that  may  bring  disaster  to  the 
throne. 

11.  This  is  as  fair  a  report  of  Amos's  message  as  could  be  ex- 
pected of  an  opponent;  cf.  vs.  9;  5  :  27.  Its  only  lack  is  that  it 
fails  to  mention  the  causes  assigned  by  Amos  for  the  disaster 
he  foretells.  The  effect  of  the  message  upon  Jeroboam  is  not 
recorded.  The  following  suggestion  to  Amos  may  have  been 
due  to  word  received  from  the  king,  or  to  Amaziah's  desire  to 
give  i\mos  warning  that  he  might  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come, 
or  to  a  hope  of  thereby  avoiding  troublesome  complications,  the 
prophet  being  too  sacred  and  perhaps  too  popular  a  personality 
to  be  attacked  by  the  king  with  impunity. 

12.  Seer;  a  term  of  reproach  in  Amaziah's  mouth,  meaning 
impracticable  dreamer.  There  eat  bread,  and  prophesy  there ; 
the  point  of  this  sneer  is  its  implication  that  Amos  is  but  one  of 
the  common  herd  of  prophets  who  prophesy  for  the  money  they 
can  make  thereby.  Amaziah  therefore  suggests  to  him  that  he 
has  brought  his  wares  to  the  wrong  market.  Let  him  take  that 
kind  of  prophecy  to  Judah ;  it  will  be  popular  there  and  bring 
large  returns,  for  the  Southerners  will  rejoice  in  predictions  of 
disaster  to  the  North. 

13.  It  is  the  king's  sanctuary,  and  a  royal  house,  i.e.  it  is  no 

56 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


any  more  at  Beth-el :   for  it  is  the  king's  sanctuary, 

14.  and  it  is  a  royal  house.  Then  answered  Amos,  and 
said  to  Amaziah,  I  was^  no  prophet,  neither  was^  I 
a  prophet's  son;^  but  I  was^  an  herdman,  and  a 
dresser  of  sycomore  trees :  and  the  Lord   took  me 

15.  from  following  the  flock,  and  the  Lord  said  imto  me, 
Go,  prophesy  unto  my  people  Israel.  Now  therefore 
hear  thou  the  word  of  the  Lord  :  Thou  sayest,  Pro- 

16.  phesy  not  against  Israel,  and  drop  not  thy  word^ 
against  the  house  of  Isaac;  therefore  thus  saith  the 

17.  Lord:  Thy  wife  shall  be  an  harlot  in  the  city,  and 
thy  sons  and  thy  daughters  shall  fall  by  the  sword, 

^m.  am.        2  m.  o„g  of  the  sons  of  the  prophets;  see  i  Kings  20 :  35.       3  Gr.  Thou 

shall  not  stir  up  a  mob. 

place  to  be  talking  against  the  king.  It  was  the  religious  head- 
quarters of  the  nation  and  the  seat  of  a  royal  residence.  The 
capital  proper  was,  of  course,  at  Samaria. 

14.  Amos  repudiates  the  charge  that  he  is  a  professional 
prophet  who  uses  his  office  for  the  purpose  of  gain  to  himself.  He 
does  not  belong  to  the  "  sons  of  the  prophets,"  i.e.  the  profes- 
sional prophetic  guilds.  I  was  (or,  am)  a  herdman;  in  1:1, 
Amos  is  classed  with  the  shepherds,  and  here  the  word  "  herd- 
man  "  should  either  be  changed  to  "  shepherd  "  or  else  inter- 
preted so  as  to  mean  "  herder  of  sheep,"  rather  than  "cowherd." 
A  dresser  of  sycomore  trees;  this  tree  still  grows  in  Palestine 
and  Egypt ;  its  fruit  grows  in  grapelike  clusters  and  is  somewhat 
like  a  small  fig  in  size,  but  is  very  insipid  and  woody.  As  a  culti- 
vator of  such  trees  and  a  shepherd,  Amos  must  have  been  of 
rather  low  financial  standing  in  his  community. 

15.  The  consciousness  of  his  divine  call  to  prophesy  came 
while  he  was  in  pursuit  of  his  regular  occupations.  Amos  felt, 
not  that  he  had  chosen  prophecy  as  his  profession,  but  that, 
wholly  apart  from  any  volition  of  his  own,  he  had  become  a 
prophet  by  the  divine  compulsion. 

16.  Thou  sayest;  Amos  may  have  meant  to  set  the  word  of 
Amaziah  in  contrast  with  the  word  of  Jehovah.  Drop  not  thy 
word,  i.e.,  preach  not. 

17.  Thy  wife  shall  be  an  harlot  in  the  city;  i.e.  she  will  be 
publicly  ravished  by  the  victorious  soldiers  of  the  invading  army. 

57 


8: 1  THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


and  thy  land  shall  be  divided  by  line ;  and  thou  thy- 
self shalt  die  in  a  land  that  is  unclean,  and  Israel 
shall  surely  be  led  away  captive  out  of  his  land. 

XII.  A  Vision  of  Israel's  End,  8 : 1-3 

8.   Thus  the  Lord  God  shewed  me :  and  behold,  a  basket 
of  summer  fruit.^ 

2.  And    he    said,^    Amos,   what    seest    thou?    And    I 

said,  A  basket  of  summer  fruit. 
Then  said  the  Lord  unto  me,  The  end  is  come  upon 
my  people  Israel ;  I  will  not  again  pass  by  them 
any  more. 

3.  And  the  songs ^  of  the  temple^  shall  be  howlings  in  that 

day,  saith  the  Lord  God  : 

1  Gr.  a  basket  of  the  bird-catcher.  2  Syr.  And  Jehovah  said  unto  me.  ^  Gr.  the 
compartments.       *  m.  palace. 

Divided  by  line ;  i.e.  distributed  in  portions  among  the  colonists 
imported  by  the  conqueror;  cf.  Mic.  2:4;  Jer.  6:  12;  2  Kings 
17  :  24.  A  land  that  is  unclean;  i.e.  a  land  under  the  sway  of 
other  gods  than  Jehovah;  cf.  i  Sam.  26:19.  Be  led  away 
captive ;  undaunted  by  Amaziah's  opposition,  Amos  reiterates 
the  threats  to  which  the  priest  had  taken  such  serious  exception. 
This  was  his  great  burden;  he  could  not  rest  quietly  beneath 
it.     He  must  relieve  his  laden  soul  by  expression. 

8:1.  Strange  as  it  seems  to  us,  the  whole  point  of  this  vision  lies 
in  the  pun  upon  the  word  for  summer  fruit  (viz.  qayits).  Its  sound 
suggested  the  similarly  sounding  word  for  end  (viz.  qets).  Thus 
there  is  brought  out  once  more  exactly  the  same  message  as  that 
expressed  in  the  third  vision.  Punning,  or  paronomasia,  was  a 
favorite  exercise  with  the  prophets  and  was  employed  to  add 
emphasis  and  vividness  to  some  of  their  most  striking  utterances,  cf . 
Mic.  I  :  10  fif. ;  Jer.  i  :  11  f. ;  50 :  20,  34;  Hos.  1:5;  Ezek.  25  :  16. 
There  is  no  especial  significance  in  the  choice  of  summer  fruit  for 
the  symbol  of  destruction.  Any  other  word  that  would  have 
furnished  the  desired  play  upon  words  would  have  done  just  as 
well. 

3.  And  the  songs  of  the  temple,  etc. ;  better,  with  a  slight 
change  of  text,  and  the  singing-women  of  the  palace  shall  wail. 

58 


THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS  8:6 


The  dead  bodies  shall  be  many ;  in  every  place  shall 
they  cast  them  forth  with  silence.^ 

XIII.  The  Sins  of  Israel  and  their  Penalty,  8 : 4-14 

4.  Hear  this,  O  ye  that  would  swallow  up^  the  needy ^ 

and  cause  the  poor  of  the  land  to  fail,* 

5.  Saying,  When  will  the  new  moon  be  gone,  that  we  may 

sell  corn?^ 
and  the  sabbath,  that  we  may  set  forth  ^  wheat  ?  ^ 
Making  the  ephah  small,  and  the  shekel  great, 
and  dealing  falsely  with  balances  of  deceit ; 

6.  That  we  may  buy  the  poor  for  silver, 

1  m.  have  they  cast  them  forth:  he  silent t  Gr.  /  will  cast  them  forth  to  silence. 
2  Gr.  that  destroy  into  the  dawn.  Syr.  that  despise.  3  Syr.  omits.  *  Gr.  that  oppress 
the  poor  of  the  land.  Syr.  omits  cause  to  fail.  ^  Vg.  hire.  Gr.  omits  corn.  ^  m.  Heb. 
open.        ''  Gr.  and  Syr.,  treasure. 

Their  joy  and  mirth  will  be  turned  into  terror  and  lamentation. 
There  will  be  a  mass  of  carcasses,  a  slaughter  without  regard  to 
rank  or  sex.  In  every  place ;  burial  will  go  by  default.  The 
carcasses  will  be  left  upon  the  face  of  the  ground  to  be  mauled 
and  devoured  by  birds  and  beasts  of  prey.  This  was  the  most 
awful  calamity  conceivable  in  the  ancient  world.  With  silence ; 
better,  Hush  !  The  horror  of  the  situation  will  be  so  overwhelm- 
ing that  speech  will  seem  sacrilege ;    cf .  6  :  lo. 

4.  Swallow  up ;  better,  with  slightly  different  vowels,  trample 
upon.  Those  addressed  are  evidently  the  greedy  and  all-power- 
ful rich. 

5.  In  their  lust  for  gain,  they  shrink  not  from  the  violation  of 
any  law  or  custom.  New  moon  and  sabbath  both  evidently 
required  cessation  from  work  and  business;  cf.  i  Sam.  20:  5-34; 
2  Kings  4:23;  Isa.  1:13;  Hos.  2:11.  Various  methods  of 
cheating  are  listed.  In  selling  grain  they  gave  small  measure, 
or  manipulated  the  scales  so  as  to  take  more  weight  in  money 
than  they  were  entitled  to.  The  ephah  has  been  variously 
estimated  at  from  2x\  to  40I  quarts.  The  shekel  likewise 
is  of  uncertain  value,  but  is  usually  reckoned  at  about  $10.80 
if  of  gold,  and  at  60  cents  if  of  silver. 

6.  The  first  two  phrases  are  found  in  essence  in  2:6.     And 

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and  the  needy  for  a  pair  of  shoes, 
and  sell  the  refuse^  of  the  wheat.^ 

7.  The  Lord  hath  sworn  by  the  excellency  of  Jacob, 

Surely  I  will  never  forget  any  of  their  works.^ 

8.  Shall  not  the  land  tremble  for  this, 

and  every  one  mourn  that  dwelleth  therein  ? 
Yea,  it  shall  rise  up  wholly  ^  like  the  River ; 

and  it  shall  be  troubled  and  sink  again,^  like  the 
River  of  Egypt. 

9.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  saith  the  Lord 

God, 
That  I  will  cause  the  sun  to  go  down^  at  noon, 
and  I  will  darken  the  earth  ^  in  the  clear  day. 
10.   And  I  will  turn  your  feasts  into  mourning, 
and  all  your  songs  into  lamentation ; 

1  Gr.  fro7n  all.  2  Gr.  the  race.  '  Gr.  their  works  will  he  forgotten  unto  the  victory. 
<  Gr.  and  Syr.,  ruin.  ^  Gr.  i),  shall  subside.  ^  Gr.  The  sun  will  go  down.  '  Gr.  and 
the  earth  will  become  dark. 

sell  the  refuse  of  the  wheat;  not  satisfied  with  giving  small 
measure  and  cheating  the  buyer  in  the  weight  of  his  money,  they 
add  to  their  sins  by  forcing  upon  him  grain  of  the  poorest  quality. 

7.  The  excellency  of  Jacob,  or  glory^  of  Jacob.  This  oath  is 
sworn  either  by  Jehovah  himself  who  is  Israel's  glory  (cf.  6:8; 
I  Sam.  15:  29),  or  by  the  vainglorious  pride  of  Israel  which  is 
unchanging  (cf.  Hos.  5  :  5  ;  7  :  10).  I  will  never  forget ;  cf .  8  :  2  ; 
7  :  8.     Any  of  their  works  ;  or,  all  their  works,  i.e.  their  evil  deeds. 

8.  Tremble ;  i.e.  as  in  an  earthquake.  This ;  i.e.  for  the 
wickedness  of  Israel.  Like  the  River;  i.e.  like  the  Nile;  cf. 
9:5.  The  annual  rise  of  the  Nile  with  its  corresponding  sub- 
sidence is  in  the  prophet's  mind. 

9.  In  that  day,  viz.  the  great  and  terrible  day  of  Jehovah. 
At  noon,  viz.  in  an  eclipse.  An  eclipse  had  actually  occurred  on 
June  15,  763  B.C.,  which  astronomers  describe  as  having  been 
visible  at  Jerusalem  as  a  fairly  large  partial  eclipse.  Such  phe- 
nomena were  for  the  mass  of  the  people  in  Amos's  time  inexplicable 
except  as  miraculous  portents,  betokening  the  divine  wrath. 

10.  Sackcloth;  the  garb  of  mourners;  Isa.  15:3;  22:12. 
Baldness ;    an  artificially  produced  baldness,  which  was  another 

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And  I  will  bring  up  sackcloth  upon  all  loins, 

and  baldness  upon  every  head ; 
And  I  will  make  it  as  the  mourning  for  an  only  son,^ 

and  the  end  thereof  ^  as  a  bitter  day. 

11.  Behold,  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord  God, 

that  I  will  send  a  famine  in  the  land, 
Not  a  famine  of  bread,  nor  a  thirst  for  water, 
but  of  hearing  the  words  ^  of  the  Lord. 

12.  And  they  shall  wander^  from  sea  to  sea,^ 

and  from  the  north  even  to  the  east ; 
They  shall  run  to  and  fro  to  seek  the  word  of  the 
Lord, 
and  shall  not  find  it. 

13.  In  that  day  shall  the  fair  virgins 

and  the  young  men  faint  for  thirst. 

14.  They  that  swear  by  the  sin^  of  Samaria, 

1  Gr.  a  beloved  one.  2  Qr.  and  those  with  htm.  ^  Gr.,  Syr.,  Vg.  and  Tg.  the  word. 
*  Syr.  and  they  shall  assemble.  *  Gr.  and  the  waters  of  the  sea  shall  roll.  «  Gr.  ac- 
cording to  the  propitiation.     Syr.  by  the  idols. 

evidence  of  mourning;  cf.  Deut.  14:1;  Isa.  3:24;  22:12; 
Mic.  1 :  16.  Mourning  for  an  only  son;  the  most  intense  of  all 
sorrows;  cf.  Jer.  6:  26;  Zech.  12:  10.  The  end  thereof ;  viz.  of 
the  mourning.     As  a  bitter  day;  i.e.  without  hope. 

11.  In  their  dire  distress  and  despair,  the  people  will  turn  to 
Jehovah  for  aid,  but  he  will  give  them  no  recognition.  Cf.  Mic. 
3:6. 

12.  From  sea  to  sea,  viz.  from  the  Dead  Sea  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean ;  or  perhaps,  from  one  end  of  the  earth  to  the  other. 
From  the  North  even  to  the  East ;  i.e.  no  portion  of  the  earth  will 
be  left  unvisited  in  the  effort  of  the  people  to  find  God. 

13.  The  fair  virgins  and  the  young  men,  viz.  the  very  flower 
of  the  land.  For  thirst;  not  for  water,  but  for  Jehovah;  cf. 
vs.  II ;   Ps.  42  :  I,  2. 

14.  Swear  by;  i.e.  worship;  cf.  Deut.  6:13;  10:20; 
Isa.  48  :  I ;  Jer.  12  :  16.  The  sin  of  Samaria;  viz.  (if  the  trans- 
lation be  correct),  the  calves  made  by  Jeroboam  I  for  Northern 
Israel's  worship.  But,  in  view  of  the  parallel  references  to  the 
worship  of  special  gods  at  Dan  and  Beersheba,  it   is  probably 

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and  say,  As  thy  God,  O  Dan,  liveth ; 
and,  As  the  way^  of  Beer-sheba  liveth ; 
Even  they  shall  fall,  and  never  rise  up  again. 

XIV.  A  Final  Vision  of  Inevitable  Destruction, 
9 '  1-4 

9.   I  saw  the  Lord  standing  ^  beside  the  altar :  and  he  said, 
Smite  the  capitals,^ 

that  the  thresholds  may  shake : 
And  break  them  in  pieces  ^  on  the  head  of  all  of  them ; 

and  I  will  slay  the  last  of  them  with  the  sword : 
There  shall  not  one  of  them  flee  away, 

and  there  shall  not  one  of  them  escape.^ 

1  m.  manner.  Gr.  thy  God.  2  j^x.  upon.  ^  Gr.  upon  the  mercy-seat.  *  Gr.  and 
cut  through.  Vg.  avarice.  ^  m.  he  thatfleeth  of  them  shall  not  flee  away,  and  he  that 
escapeth  of  them  shall  not  be  delivered. 

better  to  translate  here,  Ashimath  of  Samaria,  the  reference 
being  to  the  goddess  of  that  name.  Mention  is  made  in  the 
Elephantine  Papyri,  recently  discovered,  of  a  corresponding 
male  deity,  viz.  Asham,  of  Bethel.  Thy  God,  O  Dan;  the 
contemporaries  of  Amos,  while  recognizing  Jehovah  as  the  nation's 
only  God,  believed  in  the  existence  of  other  gods,  and  sought  the 
aid  of  various  local  and  family  gods  in  the  many  crises  of  their 
daily  lives;  cf.  Isa.  2:8;  Hos.  5:12;  13:4;  Jer.  2:28.  The 
way  of  Beer-sheba ;  if  this  rendering  be  correct,  it  means  the 
manner  of  worship  at  Beersheba,  or  the  festal  pilgrimages  thither. 
But  we  should  expect  rather  the  name  of  the  God  especially  wor- 
shipped at  Beersheba  and  the  word  "  way  "  is  probably  due  to 
a  deliberate  change  from  that  name,  which  would  naturally  be 
odious  in  the  sight  of  all  later  worshippers  of  Jehovah.  Never 
rise  up  again;   cf.  5  :  2, 

I.  The  altar;  viz.  at  Bethel,  or  some  other  great  sanctuary 
of  the  Northern  Kingdom.  And  he  said,  viz.  to  one  of  his 
agents;  cf.  2  Sam.  24:16.  The  capitals,  i.e.  the  tops  of  the 
columns  upon  which  the  roof  of  the  sanctuary  was  supported. 
The  thresholds ;  the  building  is  to  be  shaken  and  shattered  from 
roof  to  foundation.  And  break  them  in  pieces  on  the  head  of 
all  of  them ;   i.e.  smash  the  capitals  or  pillars  over  the  heads  of 

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2.  Though  they  dig  ^  into  hell,^ 

thence  shall  my  hand  take  them ; 
And  though  they  chmb  up  to  heaven, 
thence  will  I  bring  them  down. 

3.  And  though  they  hide  themselves  in  the  top  of  Car- 

mel, 
I  will  search  and  take  them  out  thence ; 
And  though  they  be  hid  from  my  sight  in  the  bottom  of 

the  sea, 
thence  will  I  command  the  serpent,  and  he  shall 

bite  them. 

4.  And   though   they   go   into    captivity   before   their 

enemies, 
thence  will  I  command  the  sword,  and  it  shall  slay 
them: 
And  I  will  set  mine  eyes  upon  them  for  evil, 
and  not  for  good. 

1  Gr.  hide  away.  2  m.  Heb.  Sheol. 


all  the  worshippers.  The  last  of  them;  if  any  of  them  escape 
destruction  in  the  collapse  of  the  shrine,  it  will  but  be  to  perish 
by  the  sword.     Not  a  single  soul  will  escape. 

2.  Kell;  better  with  m.  Sheol,  the  abode  of  all  departed 
spirits.  It  was  located  in  the  depths  of  the  earth  and  so  was  the 
most  inaccessible  spot  conceivable  in  that  direction.  Heaven, 
i.e.  the  highest  conceivable  point. 

3.  The  top  of  Carmel;  1800  feet  above  sea  level,  covered  with 
dense  woods  and  honeycombed  by  a  labyrinth  of  caves,  over 
2000  in  number ;  hence  an  ideal  hiding-place  for  fugitives.  The 
serpent,  viz.  the  sea  dragon  supposed  by  ancient  peoples  to 
have  its  home  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea ;   cf.  Isa.  27:1. 

4.  Go  into  captivity ;  even  here,  where  other  gods  were  sup- 
posed to  be  all-powerful,  Jehovah  will  manifest  his  supreme 
power  in  bringing  death  upon  them.  Mine  eyes  upon  them  for 
evil ;  there  can  be  no  eluding  the  all-seeing  eye  of  Jehovah,  which 
henceforth  will  single  them  out  for  punishment,  instead  of  for 
blessing. 

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XV.   A  Eulogy  upon  Jehovah's  Power,  9 : 5-6 

5.  For  the  Lord,  the  God  of  hosts,  is  he  that  toucheth 

the  land  and  it  melteth,^ 
and  all  that  dwell  therein  shall  mourn ; 
And  it  shall  rise  up  wholly^  like  the  River ; 
and  shall  sink  again,  like  the  River  of  Egypt ; 

6.  It  is  he  that  buildeth  his  chambers  in  the  heaven, 

and  hath  founded  his  vault ^  upon  the  earth; 
He  that  calleth  for  the  waters  of  the  sea 

and  poureth  them  out  upon  the  face  of  the  earth ; 
The  LoRD^  is  his  name. 

XVI.    Israel  may  expect  no  Special  Privilege  from 
Jehovah,  9 : 7-10 

7.  Are  ye  not  as  the  children  of  the  Ethiopians  unto  me, 

O  children  of  Israel  ?  saith  the  Lord. 

1  Gr.  atid  maketh  it  shake.  2  Gr.  its  ruin  shall  rise  up.  ^  Gr.  his  command.  Syr. 
his  promise.       *  Gr.,  Syr.  the  Lord  of  Hosts. 

9  : 5-6.  This  section  is  quite  generally  recognized  as  coming  from 
the  pen  of  some  later  writer,  whose  mind  turned  to  thoughts  of 
Jehovah's  mighty  power  as  he  read  the  words  of  Amos  and  looked 
back  upon  the  course  of  history  and  realized  what  Jehovah  had 
wrought  in  fulfilment  of  the  prophet's  threatenings.  The  con- 
siderations in  support  of  late  origin  are  the  same  as  in  the  case  of 
the  similar  passages  4:13  and  5  :  8-9. 

5.  It  melteth;  a  reference  to  volcanic  or  seismic  disturbances; 
cf.  Mic.  I  :  4.  Rise  up,  etc. ;  almost  a  word  for  word  repetition 
of  the  latter  part  of  8 :  8. 

6.  Chambers  in  the  heaven;  i.e.  the  storehouses  in  which 
Jehovah  was  thought  of  as  keeping  the  rain,  snow,  wind  and 
hail;  cf.  Ps.  135:7;  147 :  16  f.  His  vault,  i.e.  the  arching 
firmament  which  overhangs  the  earth,  the  edges  of  which  were 
supposed  to  rest  upon  the  earth;  cf.  26:  11.  Calleth  for  the 
waters,  etc. ;   a  repetition  of  the  latter  part  of  5  :  8. 

7.  This  was  a  most  astonishing  statement  in  the  ears  of 
Amos's  listeners.     Their  whole  religious  life  was  based  upon  the 

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Have  not  I  brought  up  Israel  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt, 
and  the  Philistines  from  Caphtor/  and  the  Syrians 
from  Kir? 2 
8.   Behold,  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  God  are  upon  the  sinful 
kingdom, 
and  I  will  destroy  it  from  off  the  face  of  the  earth ; 
Saving  that  I  will  not  utterly  destroy  the  house  of 
Jacob,  saith  the  Lord. 

1  Gr,,  Syr.,  Tg.,  Vg.  Cappadocia.  2  Gr.  a  pit.     Vg.  Cyrene. 

proposition  that  Israel  was  Jehovah's  chosen  people.  The 
Ethiopians  were  a  far-removed  people,  who  had  by  this  time  con- 
quered upper  Egypt,  including  Thebes.  They  were  doubtless 
despised  by  Israel  as  black  and  barbarous ;  and  yet  the  prophet 
puts  them  upon  the  same  level  before  Jehovah  with  Israel  her- 
self. The  deliverance  of  Israel  from  Egypt  had  always  been  used 
as  convincing  proof  of  Jehovah's  power  and  of  his  love  for  Israel. 
Yet  Amos  dares  to  say  that  Jehovah  has  done  just  as  much  for 
the  Philistines  and  the  Syrians,  both  of  them  long  hated  by  Israel 
as  most  persistent  foes.  Caphtor  is  best  identified  with  Crete, 
whence  the  Philistines  emigrated  to  the  south.  The  recent  dis- 
covery of  the  so-called  Phaestos  Disc  in  Crete  makes  this  origin 
of  the  Philistines  practically  certain.  Kir  is  mentioned  in  i  :  5 
as  the  place  whither  the  Syrians  will  be  carried  captive  when 
Jehovah's  wrath  alights  upon  them.  Nothing  is  known  concern- 
ing its  location. 

8.  Eyes  of  the  Lord  God  are  upon ;  as  in  9  :  4.  The  sinful 
kingdom ;  viz.  Northern  Israel.  From  off  the  face  of  the  earth ; 
no  stronger  statement  of  final  and  total  destruction  could  be 
made.  Saving  that  I  will  not  utterly  destroy  the  house  of  Jacob ; 
this  is  exactly  the  contrary  of  what  has  just  been  said.  It,  with 
the  following  two  verses,  is  from  the  pen  of  a  later  writer  who 
sought  to  make  the  words  of  Amos  accord  precisely  and  literally 
with  the  events  of  history  as  they  were  now  known.  The  house 
of  Jacob  probably  denotes  Northern  Israel ;  cf .  5  :  i,  4,  6  ;  6  :  8,  14 ; 
7  :  2,  5,  10,  16 ;  8:7.  But  since  a  different  writer  speaks  here,  it 
may  be  that  the  phrase  is  not  used  in  the  same  sense  as  it  had 
with  Amos  and  that  it  denotes  Israel,  as  a  whole,  both  north  and 
south. 

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THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


9.   For,  lo,  I  will  command, 

and  I  will  sift^  the  house  of  Israel  among  all  the 
nations, 
Like  as  graijt  is  sifted  in  a  sieve, 

yet  shall  not  the  least  grain  2  fall  upon  the  earth. 

10.  All  the  sinners  of  my  people  shall  die  by  the  sword, 

who  say. 
The  evil  shall  not  overtake  nor  prevent  us. 

XVI.  A  Picture  of  the   Glorious  Future,  9:11-15 

11.  In  that  day  will  I  raise  up  the  tabernacle  of  David 

that  is  fallen, 

1  m.  Heb.  cause  to  move  to  and  fro.  ^  Gr.  ruin. 

g.  Sift  the  house  of  Israel  among  all  the  nations,  i.e.  send  the 
Israelites  into  exile.  Yet  shall  not  the  least  grain  fall  upon  the 
earth ;  i.e.  the  experience  of  exile  will  eliminate  all  the  worthless 
in  Israel,  but  the  truly  pious  will  be  protected  and  preserved. 
This  writer  describes,  not  destruction  as  Amos  had  done,  but 
purification  through  chastisement  resulting  in  the  preservation 
of  all  the  good. 

ID.  All  the  sinners  of  my  people  shall  die  by  the  sword;  this 
is  the  point  of  view  of  later  times,  when  the  sufferings  of  the 
righteous  had  become  a  source  of  serious  perplexity  to  the  pious. 
Looking  back  upon  the  exile  of  Northern  Israel,  this  writer  ac- 
counts for  the  death  of  all  who  perished  by  reason  of  that  event 
on  the  ground  that  they  v/ere  sinners  who  deserved  to  die  and 
did  die  in  order  that  the  just  Jehovah  might  be  able  to  shower 
blessings  upon  the  pious  remainder.  Evil  shall  not  overtake  nor 
prevent  us ;  the  same  point  of  view  on  the  part  of  the  wicked  is 
expressed  in  6 :  3  and  Mic.  3:  11.  It  arose  from  the  belief  that 
Jehovah  was  bound  to  defend  his  own  people  from  disaster  at 
the  hands  of  enemies,  and  that  as  the  most  powerful  of  all  gods 
he  was  abundantly  able  to  do  so.  The  thought  that  the  justice 
of  Jehovah  could  lead  him  to  doom  his  own  chosen  people  to 
destruction  was  incredible  to  the  masses.  Prevent  here  has  the 
meaning  "go  before"  or  "anticipate,"  as  in  the  petition  of  the 
prayer-book,  "  Prevent  us,  O  Lord,  in  all  our  doings  by  thy  most 
gracious  favor,  etc." 

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And  close  up  the  breaches  thereof ;  and  I  will  raise  up 
his  ruins, 
and  I  will  build  it  as  in  the  days  of  old ;  ^ 

12.  That  they  may  possess  the  remnant  of  Edom,^  and  all 

the  nations, 
which  are  ^  called  by  my  name,  saith  the  Lord  that 
doeth  this. 

13.  Behold,  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord, 

1  SjT.  adds,  as  the  years  of  generation  after  generation.  2  Qr.  that  the  remnant  of 

men  may  seek  out  me.        ^  m.  were. 

9  :  11-15.  This  section  is  the  work  of  a  later  writer.  The  chief 
considerations  in  support  of  this  view  are  as  follows.  Amos  else- 
where predicts  destruction ;  here  restoration  and  blessing  are 
announced,  and  that  too,  without  any  ethical  prerequisites  on 
Israel's  part.  Amos's  whole  message  emphasized  the  ethical  and 
spiritual ;  this  concerns  itself  wholly  with  the  material  side  of 
life.  Amos  thinks  of  Jehovah  as  God  of  the  universe;  never 
elsewhere  as  "thy  God"  (vs.  15).  This  passage  seems  to  look 
back  upon  the  Exile  as  an  accomplished  fact  (vs.  11,  14  f.).  The 
attitude  toward  Edom  is  one  characteristic  of  exilic  and  post- 
exilic  days.  These  are  the  words  of  a  prophet  of  later  days  who 
realized  the  necessity  of  bringing  faith  and  hope  back  to  the  dis- 
couraged post-exilic  community. 

11.  In  that  day,  viz.  the  day  of  Jehovah.  The  tabernacle  of 
David  that  is  fallen,  i.e.  the  dynasty  and  kingdom  of  Judah, 
which  are  now  overthrown  and  held  in  subjection  by  a  foreign  foe. 
As  in  the  days  of  old,  viz.  the  pre-exilic  age  as  a  whole  or  the 
days  of  David  in  particular. 

12.  Possess  the  remnant  of  Edom;  cf.  Obad.,  Isa.  63:  1-6, 
and  other  exilic  and  later  writings  for  the  same  attitude  of  hos- 
tility toward  Edom  in  particular.  And  all  the  nations  ;  and  yet 
Amos  had  declared  that  Israel  had  no  advantage  over  other 
peoples  in  Jehovah's  eyes;  cf.  9:  7.  This  writer  looks  for  the 
supremacy  of  Israel  over  all  the  surrounding  peoples.  Which 
are  called  by  my  name,  i.e.  those  which  in  the  days  of  Israel's 
greatest  glory  had  been  subject  to  her  power ;  the  Davidic  sway 
is  to  be  restored  as  at  the  first.  To  "  call  a  name  over  "  anything 
was  to  assert  ownership  of  it ;  cf.  Jer.  7:  10;  Deut.  28  :  10  ;  2  Sam. 
12:28. 

13.  The  plowman  shall  overtake  the  reaper,  etc.,  i.e.  the 
seasons  will  be  so  favorable  that  the  crops  will  mature  with  mar- 

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THE  BOOK  OF  AMOS 


That  the  plowman  shall  overtake  the  reaper/ 
and  the  treader  of  grapes  him  that  soweth  seed ;  ^ 

And  the  mountains  shall  drop  sweet  wine, 
and  all  the  hills  shall  melt.^ 

14.  And  I  will  bring  again  the  captivity  of  my  people 

Israel, 
and  they  shall  build  the  waste  cities,  and  inhabit 

them; 
And  they  shall  plant  vineyards,  and  drink  the  wine 

thereof ; 
they  shall  also  make  gardens,  and  eat  of  the  fruit  of 

them. 

15.  And  I  will  plant  them  upon  their  land, 

and  they  shall  no  more  be  plucked  up  out  of  their 
land 
Which  I  have  given  them, 
saith  the  Lord  thy  God. 

1  Gr.  that  the  harvest  will  overtake  the  vintage.  2  Qr.  and  the  cluster  of  grapes  shall 
turn  dark  in  the  seedtime.        ^  Gr.  will  be  planted  together.     Vg.  will  be  cultivated. 

vellous  rapidity  and  will  crowd  one  upon  the  other  almost  faster 
than  the  farmer  can  take  care  of  them.  The  vintage  ordinarily 
begins  in  September  and  seedtime  just  as  soon  as  the  ground  has 
been  softened  by  the  October  rains.  The  mountains  shall  drop 
sweet  wine ;  the  mountain  sides  were  commonly  clothed  with 
vineyards;  cf.  Joel  3:  18.  The  hills  shall  melt,  i.e.  seem  to  be 
dissolved  in  the  flow  of  wine  from  the  vineyards. 

14.  Bring  again  the  captivity,  i.e.  restore  the  exiles  to  their 
own  land.  Build  the  waste  cities,  etc. ;  external  and  material 
power  and  possessions  occupy  all  of  this  writer's  attention. 
Amos  could  not  have  left  a  promise  of  the  reign  of  justice  and 
righteousness  out  of  his  picture  of  the  future.  Plant  vineyards, 
and  drink  the  wine  thereof,  etc. ;  a  promise  of  permanent  habi- 
tation and  possession,  which  is  stated  even  more  explicitly  in 
vs.  15.     There  will  be  no  more  captivity  or  exile. 


68 


A  COMMENTARY  ON  THE  BOOK  OF 
HOSEA 


INTRODUCTION 
I.  The  Book  of  Hosea 

I.     CONTENTS 

The  Book  of  Hosea  resolves  itself  naturally  into  two 
main  divisions,  viz.  chaps  1-3  and  4-14.  The  former 
section  is  permeated  throughout  by  allusions  to  and 
interpretations  of  Hosea's  own  personal  and  family  expe- 
riences. This  element  disappears  in  the  latter  chapters, 
which  contain  sermons  setting  forth  repeatedly  the  guilt 
of  Israel  and  her  impending  doom. 

The  first  division  may  be  further  divided  into  five 
sections,  viz.: 

I.  The  Superscription  to  the  Book  (i :  i) ; 

II.  The  Unhappy  Marriage  of  Hosea  (i :  2-9) ; 

III.  A  Promise  of  Israel's  Restoration  to  Jehovah's 
Favor  (i :  10-2  :  i) ; 

IV.  Israel's  Sin,  Punishment,  Repentance,  and  Resto- 
ration (2  :  2-23) ; 

V.  Hosea's  Purchase  and  Discipline  of  a  Wife  (3  :  1-5). 
The  second  division  includes  fifteen  sections,  viz. : 

VI.  Jehovah's  Quarrel  vvdth  Israel  (4 :  1-19) ; 

VII.  Jehovah's  Judgment  upon  Israel  (5  :  1-14) ; 

VIII.  Israel's  Facile  Repentance  and  Indelible  Guilt 
(5:15-6:11); 

IX.  The  Deep-seated  Corruption  of  Israel  (7  :  1-7) ; 

X.  Israel's  Disloyalty  to  Jehovah  (7  :  8-16) ; 

XI.  Israel's  Rulers,  Gods,  and  PoUcies  are  Hostile  to 
Jehovah  (8  : 1-14) ; 

71 


INTRODUCTION 


XII.  Israel  deserting  Jehovah  and  deserted  by  Jeho- 
vah (9:1-17); 

XIII.  The  Destruction  of  Israel's  Altars  and  Idols 
(10:1-8); 

XIV.  The  Long-standing  and  Deep-rooted  Sin  of  Israel 
and  its  Inevitable  Outcome  (10 :  9-15) ; 

XV.  Jehovah's  Love  for  Israel  (11 :  i-ii) ; 

XVI.  The  Unpardonable  Deceit  of  Israel  (11:12- 
12 :  14) ; 

XVII.  How  are  the  Mighty  Fallen  (13  : 1-16) ; 

XVIII.  A  Call  to  Repentance  (14:  1-3); 

XIX.  Pardon  and  Promise  (14 :  4-8) ; 

XX.  A  Word  to  the  Wise  (14 :  9). 

In  neither  division  of  the  book  is  there  discernible  any 
logical  or  chronological  relationship  among  its  constituent 
sections.  The  sections  in  themselves  reveal  considerable 
logical  arrangement ;  but  there  is  no  steady  progress  from 
section  to  section.  They  are  merely  arranged  side  by 
side  like  pearls  upon  a  string ;  there  is  no  vital  connection 
binding  each  to  its  predecessor.  This  is  more  or  less  true 
of  all  of  the  prophetic  books ;  but  there  is  less  of  logic  in 
Hosea  than  in  any  other  of  the  prophets. 

2.    UNITY 

In  a  book  so  loosely  tied  together  as  Hosea,  the  tempta- 
tion is  strong  for  the  interpreter  to  solve  difficult  transi- 
tions by  the  omission  of  offending  verses.  But  the  body 
of  the  book,  as  a  whole,  justifies  its  claim  to  Hoseanic 
authorship.  The  passages  that  must  be  denied  to  Hosea 
are  relatively  few,  viz.  1:1,  7  ;  i :  10-2  :i;  4:11;  6:11; 
II : 9-11 ;  12 : 3-6 ;  12 :  12  f. ;  14 : 4-9 ;  and  probably 
8 :  14.  The  considerations  leading  to  the  setting  aside 
of  these  verses  will  be  found  stated  in  the  commentary 

72 


INTRODUCTION 


in  connection  with  the  respective  passages.  In  addition 
to  these  foreign  elements  it  is  probable  that  2 : 6-7  and 
9 :  16  are  misplaced  in  their  present  positions. 

Exception  is  taken  by  some  interpreters  to  such  pas- 
sages as  2  :  6-7,  14-16,  18-23  and  3  :  5,  on  the  ground  that 
they  are  inconsistent  with  Hosea's  messages  of  destruction 
and  reflect  the  attitude  of  later  prophets.  But  this 
position  does  not  seem  to  be  well  taken.  It  is  scarcely 
conceivable  that  a  prophet  who  loved  his  nation  as  Hosea 
evidently  did  could  have  confined  his  preaching  to  words 
of  doom.  The  whole  purpose  of  the  prophet's  preaching 
was  to  bring  about  repentance  and  consequent  deliver- 
ance. If  he  had  had  no  hope  of  success,  why  did  he 
preach  ?  Surely  a  prophet  could  find  no  satisfaction  in  a 
message  of  destruction  to  a  people  for  whom  he  knew 
there  was  no  possibility  of  escape.  Positing  then  an  ele- 
ment of  hope  in  the  heart  of  the  prophet,  it  remains  only 
to  determine  whether  the  passages  in  question  are  other- 
wise intelligible  as  uttered  by  Hosea.  For  answer  to  this 
question,  reference  may  be  had  to  the  interpretation  of  the 
material  in  the  commentary. 

3.     TEXT 

The  text  of  the  Book  of  Hosea  is  one  of  the  worst 
preserved  in  the  Old  Testament.  Many  passages  have 
been  so  mutilated  as  to  be  now  unintelligible.  Some  of 
these  can  be  restored  with  a  fair  degree  of  certainty  by 
the  aid  of  the  translations  into  Greek  and  Syriac,  espe- 
cially the  Septuagint  and  the  Peshitto.  In  other  cases, 
we  have  no  recourse  but  critical  conjecture,  guided  by 
the  fragments  of  the  text  as  it  now  stands,  by  the  renderings 
of  the  Versions,  and  by  the  demands  of  the  context. 
Varying  degrees  of  approximation  to  certainty  are  attained 

73 


INTRODUCTION 


by  this  process.  But  in  not  a  few  cases  the  recovery  of 
the  original  reading  of  the  text  seems  past  hope,  unless 
new  copies  of  the  text  should  be  uncovered  by  the  spade 
of  some  fortunate  excavator.  A  suggestion  of  the  diffi- 
culty of  the  text  of  Hosea  is  afforded  by  the  long  array  of 
variant  readings  appended  to  many  of  the  sections  of  the 
translation  in  the  following  commentary. 

4.     STYLE 

The  uncertainty  of  the  text  of  Hosea  complicates  the 
effort  to  formulate  a  judgment  of  the  literary  style  of  the 
book.  Much  of  the  obscurity  that  now  characterizes 
many  passages  is  doubtless  not  to  be  charged  against 
Hosea  himself,  but  against  those  through  whose  hands  the 
text  has  come  down  to  the  present  time. 

The  vocabulary  of  Hosea  is  rich  and  varied.  He  uses 
many  synonyms  and  thus  avoids  the  monotony  of  the 
constant  repetition  of  a  few  words.  His  utterance  is 
more  ornate  than  that  of  Amos  and  is  especially  charac- 
terized by  its  frequent  similes,  comparisons,  and  meta- 
phors ;  cf.  especially  chaps.  5-7  and  13.  This  means  a 
corresponding  loss  in  simplicity,  directness,  and  force. 
But  this  is  more  than  atoned  for  by  the  added  beauty  and 
charm. 

Hosea's  words  are  poetic  through  and  through.  There 
is  scarcely  a  prosaic  phrase  among  them,  aside  from  the 
biographical  material  in  chaps,  i  and  3.  He  is  an  artist 
in  words ;  he  writes  in  pictures.  His  imagery  is  concrete 
and  sensuous,  worked  out  in  some  cases  in  detail  and 
leaving  little  to  the  imagination.  There  is  less  regularity 
in  the  poetic  form  of  Hosea  than  in  that  of  Amos.  The 
parallelism  is,  on  the  whole,  less  clearly  marked  and  there 
is  less  evidence  of  strophic  organization  of  the  material. 

74 


INTRODUCTION 


There  are,  for  example,  no  recognizable  poetic  refrains 
in  Hosea.  This  lack  in  the  mechanical  form  is  due  to  the 
dominance  of  the  poetical  spirit,  which  refuses  to  be 
limited  in  its  expression  by  rigid  formal  considerations. 

II.  The  Times  of  Hosea 

I.    DATE 

The  tradition  represented  in  the  superscription  of  the 
Book  of  Hosea  makes  the  prophet  to  have  been  contem- 
porary with  Amos  in  the  reigns  of  Uzziah  of  Judah  and 
Jeroboam  of  Israel  and  to  have  continued  his  activity  on 
into  the  reign  of  Hezekiah.  Tested  by  the  contents  of 
the  prophecy,  this  tradition  seems  in  general  to  be  correct. 
The  threat  in  i :  4  fixes  for  us  the  farthest  point  back  that 
is  definitely  known  within  Hosea's  lifetime.  There  the 
downfall  of  the  house  of  Jehu  is  still  in  the  future.  That 
event  took  place  in  the  murder  of  Zechariah,  the  son  of 
Jeroboam,  within  six  months  after  the  death  of  Jeroboam 
himself  (2  Kings  15 :  8-12).  Hosea  therefore  was  prophe- 
sying in  743  B.C.,  but  how  long  he  had  been  a  prophet 
at  that  time  cannot  be  known.  The  lower  limit  to  the 
period  of  his  prophetic  work  seems  to  be  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  he  is  wholly  silent  regarding  the  Syro-Ephraim- 
itic  attack  upon  Judah  in  735  B.C.  This  consideration  is 
strengthened  by  the  references  in  5 :  i ;  6:8,  and  12:11 
to  the  district  of  Gilead  as  being  still  in  the  possession  of 
Israel ;   this  was  not  true  after  the  events  of  735-734  B.C. 

2.   HISTORICAL  SITUATION 

The  conditions  reflected  in  Hosea's  sermons  accord  well 
with  what  is  known  of  the  period  from  745  B.C.  to  735  B.C. 
Jeroboam's  death  {ca.  743)  was  followed  by  the  murder 

75 


INTRODUCTION 


of  his  son  Zechariah  in  the  same  year,  at  the  hands  of 
Shallum.  He  in  turn,  after  a  month,  was  slain  by  Men- 
ahem,  who  took  the  throne  and  held  it,  after  a  short  but 
bloody  civil  war,  for  a  period  of  ten  years.  His  son  and 
successor  Pekahiah  was  ousted  and  slain  by  Pekah,  an- 
other usurper,  who  cooperated  with  Syria  against  Judah 
in  735  B.C.  In  addition  to  these  internal  troubles,  Tiglath- 
pileser  IV  invaded  Israel  in  738  B.C.,  and  exacted  heavy 
tribute  from  her  (2  Kings  15  :  19  f.). 

The  prosperity  that  had  characterized  the  reign  of 
Jeroboam  II  rapidly  disappeared  upon  his  death.  Internal 
strife,  coupled  with  foreign  invasion  and  heavy  tribute, 
made  the  conditions  of  life  and  business  unstable  and 
drained  the  resources  of  the  kingdom  to  the  dregs.  Amid 
charges  of  moral  and  religious  degeneracy,  Hosea  includes 
an  occasional  statement  that  reveals  the  political  and 
economic  conditions  of  his  time.  He  alludes  twice 
(7  :  3-7  ;  8 :  10)  to  the  dynastic  changes,  conspiracies,  and 
murders  of  the  day.  He  speaks  of  the  overtures  made  by 
the  government  both  to  Assyria  and  to  Egypt  for  succor 
(5:13;  7:8,  11;  8:8  ff.;  12:1).  These  appeals  may 
have  been  from  rival  aspirants  for  the  throne  who  sought 
foreign  aid  in  their  attempt  to  establish  themselves.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  Menahem  certainly  held  his  throne  by 
the  grace  of  Assyria;  and,  a  little  later,  the  downfall  of 
Pekah  was  aided  by  Assyria,  who  placed  Hoshea  upon  the 
throne  as  his  successor.  The  prophet  realized  clearly  the 
relative  weakness  of  his  country  in  comparison  with  the 
great  powers  and  the  contempt  felt  for  her  by  them 
(7  :  9,  16  ;  8  :  8 ;  13).  He  looked  forward  to  the  approach- 
ing downfall  of  his  country,  at  the  hands  of  either  Assyria 
or  Egypt;  but  seems  to  have  been  unable  to  decide  be- 
tween them  (8  :  13  ;   9 :  3,  6 ;    10 :  6  ;    11:5).     Either  the 

76 


INTRODUCTION 


relative  strength  of  the  two  great  powers  and  the  outcome 
of  the  rivalry  between  them  was  not  apparent  in  Hosea's 
time,  or  Hosea  was  not  a  keen  observer  of  the  political 
situation.  As  history  has  shown,  the  future  lay  in  the 
hands  of  Assyria.  But  this  was  not  so  evident  in  the  period 
from  750  to  735  B.C.  as  it  is  now.  It  has  been  contended  that 
Hosea's  work  fell  between  735  and  721  B.C.  But  Hosea's 
uncertainty  regarding  the  outcome  of  the  struggle  for 
supremacy  in  the  Western  world  seems  to  put  such  a  sup- 
position out  of  the  question.  After  735-732  B.C.  there 
could  have  been  no  doubt  regarding  Assyria's  power.  She 
was  then  mistress  of  the  West  down  to  the  very  gates  of 
Egypt.  During  the  early  years  of  Tiglath-pileser  IV, 
there  was  room  for  uncertainty.  He  fell  heir  to  a  weak  and 
disorganized  kingdom.  He  was  beset  by  foes  on  every 
hand,  and  spent  his  first  ten  years  in  bringing  into  subjec- 
tion the  people  of  Urartu  on  the  north,  the  Syrians  in 
the  west,  and  the  Babylonians  to  the  south.  Egypt  was 
powerless  to  intervene  effectively  in  western  Asia  during 
the  whole  period  from  750-721  B.C.  But  she  seems  to 
have  possessed  a  fatal  facility  in  persuading  the  little 
Western  folk  to  trust  her  and  lean  upon  her.  Hosea's 
attitude  of  uncertainty  is  intelligible,  therefore,  before 
735-732  B.C.,  but  incomprehensible  after  that  date. 

Hosea  had  fallen  on  evil  days.  Decline,  degeneration, 
and  destruction  stared  Israel  in  the  face  on  every  side. 
He  saw  his  country  trembling  on  the  edge  of  the  precipice, 
before  the  final  plunge.     It  was  his  task  to  try  to  save  her. 

III.   The  Man 

Hosea  was  not  an  outsider,  like  Amos,  but  a  native 
citizen  of  the  Northern  Kingdom.  This  may  be  fairly 
inferred  from  the  contents  of  his  prophecies,  though  no 

77 


INTRODUCTION 


direct  statement  is  made  regarding  either  his  place  of 
residence,  his  position  in  society,  or  his  call  to  prophecy. 
His  northern  origin  is  indicated  by  his  use  of  such  phrases 
as  ''our  king"  (7:5),  ''in  the  house  of  Israel  I  saw" 
(6  :  10),  and  "the  land"  (i :  2)  as  meaning  Northern  Israel. 
His  detailed  knowledge  of  affairs  in  the  North  and  fre- 
quent mention  of  northern  cities  point  in  the  same  direc- 
tion. The  difference  in  attitude  between  him  and  Amos 
toward  Israel  may  in  part  be  due  to  the  fact  that  Amos 
was  an  intruder  while  Hosea  was  at  home.  The  evils  of 
which  Amos  can  speak  without  emotion  break  the  heart  of 
Hosea. 

Hosea  was  endowed  with  a  strongly  emotional  and 
high-strung  temperament.  The  floods  of  conflicting  emo- 
tions run  high  in  his  utterances.  Love  for  his  nation, 
hatred  of  the  wicked  and  oppressive,  tender  regard  for 
the  afflicted  and  doomed  people,  severity  in  the  denuncia- 
tion of  sin,  and  longing  for  deliverance  from  destruction 
follow  one  another  in  rapid  succession  and  intertwine  in 
all  his  thought.  The  rush  of  emotion  at  times  makes  his 
speech  tumultuous.  Beneath  all  this  play  of  emotion  there 
lay  a  profoundly  religious  view  of  life  and  of  history,  and 
this  gave  color  and  proportion  to  his  whole  message. 

The  outstanding  feature  in  the  all  too  brief  account  of 
his  personal  career  is  the  story  of  his  marriage  and  the 
birth  of  his  three  children.  This  has  always  held  the 
attention  of  interpreters  and  has  played  a  large  part  in 
their  estimate  of  the  character  and  personality  of  Hosea. 
The  interpretation  of  this  record  which  has  found  accept- 
ance with  most  scholars  in  recent  years  is  to  the  effect 
that  Hosea  fell  in  love  with  a  young  woman  of  good  repu- 
tation, but  with  latent  tendencies  toward  sensuality. 
Three  children  were  born  during  the  union,  but  not  all 

78 


INTRODUCTION 


of  them  were  Hosea's.  He  discovered  his  wife's  infidelity, 
and  at  length  she  deserted  him  for  another.  His  love  for 
her  led  him  to  buy  her  back  from  her  paramour,  with  the 
intention  of  restoring  her  to  her  former  status  as  his  wife, 
after  having  subjected  her  to  restraint  and  seclusion  for  a 
period.  Brooding  upon  this  tragedy  in  his  own  experi- 
ence, Hosea  came  to  see  the  hand  of  Jehovah  in  it  pointing 
out  to  him  his  prophetic  message.  For  his  own  experi- 
ence with  his  wife  was  but  a  duplicate  of  Jehovah's  ex- 
perience with  Israel.  Jehovah  had  loved  Israel,  but  she 
had  spurned  his  love  and  taken  up  with  other  gods.  Hence 
she  must  be  disciplined  by  exile  before  she  can  be  taken 
back  into  Jehovah's  favor. 

Attractive  as  this  interpretation  is,  because  it  presup- 
poses so  psychologically  intelligible  an  experience,  it 
nevertheless  must  be  abandoned.  The  narrative  as  it 
stands  will  not  support  such  a  view;  it  leaves  too  many 
lacunae  to  be  filled  in  by  the  imagination.  Not  a  word  is 
said  regarding  Gomer's  departure  from  home,  nor  as  to 
the  reason  for  Hosea's  purchase  of  his  recalcitrant  wife, 
when  she  was  already  his  by  right  and  by  law.  Further- 
more, the  phrase  "woman  of  harlotries"  (1:2)  is  given 
a  forced  meaning  when  it  is  made  to  denote  a  woman  with 
a  tendency  toward  vice,  rather  than  a  vicious  woman. 
The  same  peculiarity  of  construction  occurs  in  Hos.  4:12 
and  5:4  and  also,  e.g.,  in  Prov.  31:10;  Ruth  3:11; 
Prov.  11:16  and  21:9,  in  none  of  which  is  there  any 
suggestion  of  latent  tendency  or  possibility  as  contrasted 
with  an  actual,  positive  characteristic  or  capacity.  Again, 
so  vital  an  element  in  the  experience  as  the  fact  that 
Gomer's  character  was  not  discovered  by  Hosea  until 
after  the  marriage  could  scarcely  have  been  left  unmen- 
tioned  in  the  story.    Lastly,  that  3 :  i  should  simply  say 

79 


INTRODUCTION 


"a  wife,"  rather  than  ^Hhy  wife,"  is  scarcely  possible  if 
the  woman  in  question  was  Hosea's  fugitive  wife. 

The  natural  sense  of  the  story  requires  that  the  woman 
be  an  out-and-out  harlot,  whom  Hosea  married  with  his 
eyes  wide  open.  He  was  led  to  undertake  this  extraordi- 
nary step  by  the  conviction  that  it  was  the  will  of  God  that 
he  should  so  do.  That  Hosea  should  have  conceived  of 
Jehovah  as  requiring  this  repulsive  act  of  him  is  a 
hypothesis  fraught  with  no  more  difficulty  morally  than 
the  view  that  he  conceived  of  Jehovah  as  requiring  him  to 
marry  a  woman,  who,  as  Jehovah  knew,  would  turn 
out  to  be  a  harlot.  Moral  problems  of  this  kind  would 
not  trouble  men  who  were  able  to  think  of  Jehovah  as 
hardening  Pharaoh's  heart  to  the  end  that  he  might  be 
destroyed  (Exod.  7  :  3  f.  ;  lo :  i),  or  to  represent  Jehovah  as 
moving  David  to  number  Israel  in  order  that  he  might 
have  a  warrant  for  punishing  him  (2  Sam.  24 :  i  f.),  or  to 
inspire  a  body  of  prophets  to  tell  a  lie  (i  Kings  22  :  20-23). 
The  moral  standards  of  to-day  cannot  be  carried  back  and 
made  applicable  to  the  age  of  Hosea.  Nor  is  the  marriage 
of  a  woman  of  the  street  by  the  prophet  psychologically 
difficult.  The  psychology  of  a  prophet  was  not  that  of  the 
normal  man.  He  was  dominated  by  the  idea  that  he  was 
the  spokesman  and  representative  of  Jehovah.  Anything 
that  he  could  conceive  of  as  Jehovah's  command  would 
be  of  binding  force  upon  him.  The  fact  that  the  action 
called  for  was  abnormal  would  be  no  obstacle  to  his  per- 
formance of  it.  Witness  such  examples  as  are  furnished 
in  Ezek.  4:9-15  ;   24 :  16-18  ;   Isa.   20 :  1-4 ;   Jer.  16 :  i  f. 

The  extraordinary  character  of  the  marriage  was  in 
fact  the  warrant  for  its  taking  place.  Its  purpose  required 
that  it  should  attract  widespread  attention.  It  and  the 
children  that  followed  it  were  alike  vivid  object  lessons 

80 


INTRODUCTION 


for  all  Israel.  It  was  intended  to  provoke  questioning  on 
the  part  of  the  people  that  the  way  might  be  open  for 
Hosea  to  deliver  his  message  in  reply.  It  was  thus  a  lesson 
for  the  nation,  not  for  Hosea  himself.  It  was  to  show 
Israel  how  she  was  treating  Jehovah,  her  spiritual  husband. 
Instead  of  the  loyalty  to  him  which  common  decency  re- 
quired, she  was  running  after  other  gods  continually. 
In  this  connection,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the 
marriage  is  meant  to  represent  the  present  situation  in 
Israel ;  it  is  not  a  representation  of  past  history.  Conse- 
quently, it  is  not  a  part  of  its  purpose  to  symbolize  the 
initiation  of  the  relationship  between  Jehovah  and  Israel, 
when  all  was  as  it  should  have  been.  It  is  the  existing 
abnormal  and  shocking  relationship  that  the  prophet 
seeks  to  impress  upon  his  people's  consciousness. 

Then,  too,  it  is  worthy  of  notice  that  Hosea  was  not 
made  a  prophet  by  his  marriage,  as  has  been  maintained, 
for  he  was  a  prophet  before  his  marriage.  He  entered 
upon  the  marriage  itself  in  obedience  to  the  voice  of 
Jehovah  in  his  soul  (1:2).  He  gave  the  first  child  born 
a  name  of  prophetic  significance  (1:4,  5),  though  not  yet 
aware,  on  the  current  view,  of  his  wife's  unfaithfulness.  It 
was  because  he  was  a  prophetic  spirit  that  a  marriage  of 
this  sort  was  possible  for  him.  A  prophet  had  few  rights 
that  Jehovah  was  bound  to  respect. 

This  interpretation  of  the  marriage  experience  empha- 
sizes the  self-sacrifice  of  Hosea.  He  looks  upon  himself  as 
belonging  wholly  to  his  people  and  to  his  God.  There 
is  no  sacrifice  for  the  good  of  Israel  or  for  the  service  of 
Jehovah  that  can  be  called  too  great.  He  is  a  willing  tool 
in  Jehovah's  hands,  absolutely  submissive  to  Jehovah's 
will.  ''Shall  the  clay  say  to  him  who  molds  it,  What 
makest  thou?"  (Isa.  45:9). 
G  81 


INTRODUCTION 


Chapter  3,  as  ordinarily  interpreted,  has  yielded  the 
strongest  support  for  the  view  that  Hosea's  wife  first  fell 
into  evil  ways  after  her  marriage.  But  there  is  not  the 
slightest  necessity  for  interpreting  it  as  a  second  stage  in 
Hosea's  experience  with  Gomer.  It  is  equally  natural 
to  regard  it  as  another  version  of  the  original  marriage. 
To  make  the  story  complete,  we  need  both  versions.  From 
these  we  may  reconstruct  the  narrative  thus :  Hosea  felt 
himself  called  upon  by  Jehovah  to  marry  a  prostitute, 
living  with  her  paramour  in  open  shame.  Perhaps  he 
put  the  thought  away  from  him  for  a  time ;  but  the  con- 
viction would  not  down.  "Jehovah  said  to  me  again. 
Go,  etc."  Hence,  he  took  to  wife  Gomer  bath  Diblaim. 
During  this  union,  three  children  were  born,  of  whom 
Hosea  makes  use,  each  in  turn,  to  repeat  to  Israel  the 
message  conveyed  likewise  by  the  marriage  itself.  There- 
upon, Hosea  places  his  wife  under  restraint  and  in  seclu- 
sion, breaking  off  all  marital  relations  with  her,  and  thus 
conveys  to  Israel  the  announcement  that  the  nation's 
unfaithfulness  to  Jehovah  will  make  her  captivity  and 
exile  necessary,  and  that  only  after  purification  by  such 
disciplinary  treatment  can  she  be  restored  to  the  favor  of 
Jehovah. 

The  man  who  could  take  upon  himself  a  relationship 
like  that  and  could  exploit  his  act  for  the  education  of  the 
public  was  not  only  utterly  self-abasing  and  self-effacing 
in  his  devotion  to  his  country,  but  was  evidently  endowed 
with  a  strongly  dramatic  temperament.  This,  combined 
with  the  inherent  value  of  his  message,  succeeded  in  im- 
pressing his  preaching  deeply  upon  the  consciousness  of 
Israel,  so  that  it  became  a  permanent  element  in  Hebrew 
religion. 


82 


INTRODUCTION 


IV.  The  Message  of  Hosea 

Amos  was  concerned  with  the  rights  of  man,  Hosea 
with  the  rights  of  God.  Hosea  was  not  bUnd  to  ''man's 
inhumanity  to  man."  But  his  teaching  was  not  so 
distinctively  and  prevailingly  social  as  that  of  Amos. 
In  his  enumeration  of  the  shortcomings  of  Israel  in  the 
ethical  sphere,  he  never  once  mentions  the  poor  and  their 
sufferings;  cf.  4:2;  5:11;  6:8,  9;  10:4;  12:7,  8. 
This  was  because  his  whole  being  was  absorbed  in  the 
theme  of  Israel's  attitude  toward  Jehovah.  His  funda- 
mental note  is  that  Israel  should  be  loyal  to  Jehovah  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  other  gods,  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  he 
has  chosen  her  as  his  own  people  from  among  the  peoples 
of  the  earth.  Hence  Hosea  attacks  the  Baal-worship  of 
his  day  with  uncompromising  hostility ;  cf .  2  :  8, 13, 16, 17  ; 
7:16;  11:2;  13:1.  The  hold  of  Baalism  upon  the  pop- 
ular consciousness  was  tenacious.  Israel  had  come  into 
Canaan  from  the  desert.  Their  God  had  been  able  to 
supply  all  their  need  as  nomads.  But  now  they  had  come 
into  a  i^w  world.  They  were  under  the  necessity  of  learn- 
ing the  ways  of  the  new  agricultural  life  from  the  Canaan- 
ites.  But  the  Canaanites  carried  on  their  agricultural 
operations  under  the  auspices  of  the  local  Baalim,  the  gods 
of  the  land.  The  religion  of  Baal  and  the  tillage  of  the 
soil  were  inseparably  connected.  If  the  Hebrews  would 
learn  successful  farming,  they  must  take  over  with  it  a  lot 
of  Baalistic  usages.  The  Baalim  had  reigned  supreme 
over  the  soil  of  the  land  and  its  products  for  centuries. 
Could  Jehovah  dispossess  them  from  their  heritage? 
Would  it  not  be  folly  to  forsake  the  gods  who  had  long 
granted  the  gifts  of  the  soil  and  to  trust  one's  fortunes 
to  a  god  who  had  thus  far  been  associated  with  wholly 

83 


INTRODUCTION 


different  interests?  This  struggle  between  Jehovah  and 
the  Baalim  was  still  keen  in  Hosea's  time,  and  Hosea  there- 
fore insists  upon  Jehovah's  exclusive  claim  to  recognition 
even  in  the  domain  of  agriculture ;   cf.  especially  2  :  3-13. 

Out  of  the  same  feeling  of  loyalty  to  Jehovah  arose 
Hosea's  protest  against  the  poHtical  programmes  of  the 
day.  Some  look  for  aid  to  Egypt;  others  to  Assyria; 
cf.  5:13;  7:8-12;  8:9,  10;  12:1;  14:3.  But  to 
Hosea  all  such  policies  mean  lack  of  faith  in  Jehovah. 
Is  not  he  able  and  willing  to  care  for  all  the  interests  of 
his  people,  if  they  will  but  walk  in  his  way  ?  Such  dis- 
trust of  him  is  in  itself  a  heinous  sin. 

Elijah,  Elisha,  and  Amos  had  said  nothing  against  the 
image-worship  of  their  day.  But  to  Hosea,  with  his  spirit- 
ual conception  of  God,  such  a  materialistic  representation 
of  Jehovah  was  unendurable.  He  therefore  denounces 
image-worship  in  general  (4 :  12,  17  ;  11:2;  14 :  3)  and, 
in  particular,  the  cultus  of  the  golden  calves  (8:5,  6 ; 
10:  5,  6;  13 :  2).  To  the  mind  of  the  prophet  there  was 
little  to  choose  between  calf-worship  and  Baalism.  The 
misconception  of  Jehovah  inseparable  from  the  worship 
of  him  under  the  guise  of  a  calf,  so  distorted  his  character 
as  to  put  him  on  a  level  but  little  above  that  of  the  Baalim. 
Both  rituals  alike  emphasized  the  generative,  life-giving, 
fertilizing  powers  of  the  deity  and  consequently  degenerated 
into  crass  sensuality;  4:2,  10,  13,  14,  18.  So  Hosea 
attacked  the  cultus,  just  as  Amos  had  done ;  though  from 
a  different  point  of  view.  Amos  had  objected  to  cultus 
as  a  substitute  for  justice  toward  fellow-men;  Hosea 
objects  that  the  cultus  in  itself  is  bad.  It  is  the  expres- 
sion of  a  wrong  conception  of  Jehovah. 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  Hosea  is  always  talking  about 
the  necessity  of  a  knowledge  of  Jehovah ;    cf.  2 :  8,  20 ; 

84 


INTRODUCTION 


3:1,  6;  5:4;  6:6;  11:3.  The  great  sin  of  Israel  is 
that  of  inexcusable  ignorance.  She  has  had  innumerable 
evidences  of  Jehovah's  attitude  toward  her;  but  has 
steadily  refused  to  learn  by  her  experiences.  This,  for 
Hosea,  is  the  tragedy  of  Hebrew  history.  He  himself  is 
dominated  by  the  thought  of  Jehovah's  love  for  Israel 
and  he  is  amazed  and  grief-stricken  because  that  love 
receives  no  adequate  recognition  or  return  in  Israel.  It 
is,  on  the  contrary,  met  by  the  basest  ingratitude. 

There  is  but  one  possible  outcome  of  such  a  situation, 
viz.  punishment  and  that  of  the  most  drastic  character. 
There  is  a  way  of  escape  through  genuine  repentance; 
but  this  way  Israel  will  not  take.  Hence,  she  must  be 
carried  into  exile  that  she  may  realize  the  powerlessness 
of  the  gods  in  whom  she  has  placed  her  trust  and  may 
come  to  a  new  consciousness  of  Jehovah's  love.  Chas- 
tised and  purified,  she  may  once  more  return  to  her  land 
and  there  worship  Jehovah  with  a  zeal  according  to 
knowledge  and  with  an  undivided  heart. 

V.   Literature  on  Hosea 

Harper,  W.  R.  A  Critical  and  Exegetical  Commentary 
on  Amos  and  Hosea  [The  International  Critical 
Commentary]  (1905). 

Smith,  George  Adam.  The  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets, 
Vol.  I  (1896). 

Horton,  R.  F.  The  Minor  Prophets  [The  Century 
Bible]  (1904). 

EiSELEN,  F.  C.  The  Minor  Prophets  [Whedon's  Com- 
mentary] (1907). 

Cheyne,  T.  K.  Hosea,  with  Notes  and  Introduction 
[Cambridge  Bible]  (1884). 

Cornill,  C.  H.     Prophets  of  Israel  (1898). 

85 


INTRODUCTION 


Smith,  W.  R.  The  Prophets  of  Israel  and  their  Place  in 
History  (2d  ed.,  1896). 

Welch,  Adam  C.  The  Religion  of  Israel  under  the 
Kingdom  (191 2). 

BuDDE,  K.     Religion  of  Israel  Prior  to  the  Exile  (1899). 

KiRKPATRiCK,  A.  F.  Doctrine  of  the  Prophets  (3d  ed., 
1901). 

Davidson,  A.  B.  Article  ''Hosea,"  in  Hastings's  Dic- 
tionary of  the  Bible,  Vol.  II  (1899). 

Smith,  W.  R.,  and  Marti,  K.  Article  "Hosea,"  in 
Encyclopaedia  Biblica,  Vol.  II  (1901). 

Robinson,  H.  W.  Article  "Hosea,"  in  Encyclopaedia 
Britannica,  nth  ed. 

Smith,  J.  M.  Powis.  "  The  Marriage  of  Hosea,"  in  Bib- 
lical World,  Vol.  XLII  (1913). 


86 


A  COMMENTARY   ON    THE 
BOOK   OF    ROSEA 

I.  The  Superscription,  i  :  i  1:2 

1.  The  word  of  the  Lord  that  came  unto  Hosea  the 
son  of  Beeri,  in  the  days  of  Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz, 
and  Hezekiah,  kings  of  Judah,  and  in  the  days  of 
Jeroboam  the  son  of  Joash,  king  of  Israel. 

II.  The  Unhappy  Marriage   of  Hosea,   i  :  2-9 

2.  When  the  Lord  spake  at  the  first  by  ^  Hosea ,^ 
the  Lord  said  unto  Hosea, 

Go,  take  unto  thee  a  wife  of  whoredom 
and  children  of  whoredom : 

1  m.  with.  2  Gr.,  Syr.,  Vulg.,  Tg.  The  beginning  of  the  word  (or  speaking)  of 
Jehovah  through  Hosea. 

1.  Hosea;  nothing  is  known  of  him,  nor  of  Beeri,  his 
father,  aside  from  what  this  book  tells  us.  Hosea  was  probably 
a  native  of  Northern  Israel  (see  Introduction,  §111).  In  the 
days  of  Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah;  this  would  place 
Hosea's  activity  beginning  at  least  as  early  as  785  B.C.  and  as 
lasting  till  at  least  715  B.C.,  a  period  of  about  70  years.  And  in 
the  days  of  Jeroboam,  who  reigned  from  about  780  b.c.  to  about 
743  B.C.  But  it  seems  fairly  certain  that  the  period  of  Hosea's 
ministry  cannot  have  extended  longer  than  from  some  time  before 
743  B.C.  to  735  B.C.  (see  Introduction,  §  II).  This  fact,  to- 
gether with  the  further  facts  that  a  northern  prophet  would  scarcely 
have  placed  the  kings  of  Judah  before  his  own  king,  and  that  most 
of  the  superscriptions  to  prophetic  books  have  undergone  editorial 
modification  at  least,  makes  it  clear  that  this  superscription  is 
from  the  pen  of  a  later  editor. 

2.  When  the  Lord  spake  at  the  first;  better  either  in  the 
beginning  when  Jehovah  spake,   or  the  beginning  of  that  which 

87 


i:3  THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


For  the  land  doth  commit  great  whoredom, 
departing  from  the  Lord. 

3.  So  he  went  and  took  Gomer  the  daughter  of  Dib- 

4.  laim ;  and  she  conceived,  and  bare  him  a  son.     And 
the  Lord  said  unto  him, 

Call  his  name  Jezreel ; 

for  yet  a  little  while, 
And  I  will  avenge  ^  the  blood  of  Jezreel 

upon  the  house  of  Jehu,^ 
And  will  cause  the  kingdom  of  the  house  of  Israel 
to  cease. 

1  m.  Heb.  visit.  2  Gr.  Judah. 

Jehovah  spake.  This  seems  to  be  a  special  superscription,  belong- 
ing particularly  to  chaps.  1-3,  which  certainly  contain  the  earliest 
known  prophecies  of  Hosea.  Go,  take,  etc. ;  the  precise  meaning 
of  this  statement  is  one  of  the  chief  problems  in  the  book  of  Hosea. 
Is  it  to  be  understood  as  implying  that  Hosea  deliberately  married 
a  harlot,  knowing  her  character  at  the  time,  but  believing  him- 
self ordered  of  Jehovah  to  enter  upon  this  repugnant  alliance? 
Or,  does  it  mean  rather  that  Hosea  in  the  heyday  of  his  youth 
married  a  young  woman  whom  he  supposed  to  be  virtuous,  that 
she  forsook  the  path  of  virtue  after  her  marriage,  and  that  Hosea, 
looking  back  upon  the  whole  heartbreaking  experience,  interpreted 
it  as  Jehovah's  way  of  preparing  him  for  and  calling  him  to  the 
work  of  a  prophet?  In  view  of  all  the  facts,  it  seems  better  to 
adopt  the  former  view  (see  Introduction,  §  III).  Commit 
great  whoredom,  departing  from  the  Lord ;  the  prophet  presents 
the  relation  between  Jehovah  and  Israel  as  that  between  husband 
and  wife.  Israel  is  charged  with  having  forsaken  Jehovah  for 
other  gods. 

3.  Gomer  the  daughter  of  Diblaim;  nothing  is  known  of  this 
woman  nor  her  father  aside  from  what  Hosea  tells  us.  Her 
name,  unlike  that  of  her  children,  has  no  certain  symbolical 
significance. 

4.  Call  his  name  Jezreel;  cf.  the  names  given  by  Isaiah  to 
his  sons  (7:3;  8:  1-4;  cf.  7:  14).  I  will  avenge  the  blood  of 
Jezreel,  i.e.  the  massacre  by  Jehu  of  the  royal  family  and  its 
supporters;  see  2  Kings  9:30-10:14.  This  was  evidently 
uttered  before  the  close  of  the  reign  of  Jeroboam  II,  for  the  end 

88 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA  1:7 


5.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  at  that  day, 
That  I  will  break  the  bow  of  Israel 

in  the  valley  of  Jezreel. 

6.  And    she    conceived    again,    and  bare  a  daughter. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,^ 
Call  her  name  Lo-ruhamah :  ^ 

for  I  will  no  more 
Have  mercy  upon  the  house  of  Israel, 

that  I  should  in  any  wise  pardon  them.^ 

7.  But  I  will  have  mercy  upon  the  house  of  Judah, 

and  will  save  them  by  the  Lord  their  God, 

And  will  not  save  them  by  bow,  nor  by  sword, 

nor  by  battle,  by  horses,  nor  by  horsemen. 

1  Syr.  And  Jehovah  said  to  me.  Heb.  And  he  said  to  him.  ^  m.  That  is,  That 
hath  not  obtained  mercy.  ^  Syr.  for  I  will  carry  them  away,  completely.  Vg.  hut  I  will 
wholly  forget  them.     Gr.  but  I  will  surely  array  myself  against  them. 

of  his  dynasty  came  only  six  months  after  his  death  with  the 
murder  of  his  son  Zechariah.  Will  cause  the  kingdom  of  the 
house  of  Israel  to  cease ;  Hosea  clearly  expected  the  end  of  the 
dynasty  of  Jehu  and  the  fall  of  the  Northern  Kingdom  to  come 
together.     But  the  latter  event  did  not  arrive  till  721  B.C. 

5.  The  bow,  i.e.  the  power  (Gen.  49:24;  Jer.  49:35;  Job 
29:  20).  In  the  valley  of  Jezreel;  as  the  scene  of  the  crime  it 
is  most  fittingly  chosen  as  the  scene  likewise  of  the  vengeance, 
Jezreel  lay  in  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  the  site  of  many  important 
battles.  No  evidence  of  any  event  which  would  literally  comply 
with  this  prediction  is  available.  The  difference  between  Hosea's 
estimate  of  Jehu's  acts  and  that  of  the  prophetic  contemporaries 
of  Jehu  is  striking  and  of  great  significance  for  a  right  under- 
standing of  prophecy. 

6.  Lo-ruhamah,  i.e.  she  is  not  pitied,  or  loved.  I  will  no  more 
have  mercy;  the  decree  of  punishment  is  irrevocable.  Thus 
early  in  his  prophecy,  Hosea  declares  the  case  of  Israel  to  be  hope- 
less. 

7.  But  I  will  have  mercy  upon  the  house  of  Judah;  this 
verse  is  quite  generally  conceded  to  be  a  later  addition  to  the 
prophecy.  It  unduly  interrupts  the  story  of  Hosea's  family 
affairs ;  its  attitude  toward  Judah  is  that  of  other  late  passages 
in  Hosea,  not  that  of  Hosea  himself ;  it  seems  to  reflect  a  knowl- 

89 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


8.  Now  when  she  had  weaned  Lo-ruhamah,  she  con- 

9.  ceived,  and  bare  a  son.     And  the  Lord  said, 
Call  his  name  Lo-ammi :  ^ 

for  ye  are  not  my  people, 
and  I  will  not  be  your  God? 

III.  A  Promise  of  Restoration  to  Jehovah's  Favor, 
1 :  10-2  : 1 

10.  Yet  the  number  of  the  children  of  Israel  shall  be  as 
the  sand  of  the  sea, 
which  cannot  be  measured  nor  numbered ; 

^  m.  i.e.,  not  my  people.  2  m.  Heb.  for  you. 

edge  of  the  marvellous  deliverance  of  Jerusalem  from  Sennacherib 
in  701  B.C.,  and  the  phrase  Jehovah  their  God  is  a  characteristic 
expression  of  the  Deuteronomic  writers.  Will  not  save  them  by 
bow,  etc. ;  this  reliance  upon  Jehovah  alone  with  renunciation  of 
all  ordinary  means  of  defence  is  a  state  of  mind  belonging  to  later 
times  when  the  powerlessness  of  Judah  had  become  only  too  ap- 
parent ;  cf.  Ezek.  39  :  i-io  ;  Joel  2:32;  3  :  14-17  ;  Zech.  14  :  3  ff. 

8.  When  she  had  weaned  Lo-ruhamah,  etc. ;  the  period 
covered  by  the  birth  of  the  three  children  would  approximate 
six  years,  and  perhaps  more,  since  children  were  not  weaned  till 
they  were  two  or  three  years  old. 

9.  Lo-ammi,  i.e.  not  my  people,  symbolizes  the  complete 
break  of  the  relationship  between  Jehovah  and  Israel.  And  I 
will  not  be  your  God ;  God  is  supplied  here  by  the  translators ; 
the  Heb.  says  only  and  I  am  not  for  you,  which  is  equivalent  to 
"  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  you."  This  is  sufficiently  clear  and 
strong  and  needs  no  addition. 

1 :  10-2  : 1.  This  passage  is  denied  to  Hosea  by  many  interpre- 
ters, since  it  interrupts  a  context  concerned  wholly  with  punish- 
ment and  it  presupposes  the  exile  of  Judah  as  having  already 
taken  place.  The  latter  consideration  certainly  seems  to  dis- 
pose of  the  claim  of  vs.  11  to  Hoseanic  origin,  and  the  former  at 
least  compels  us  to  suppose  that  this  passage  was  not  placed  in 
its  present  position  by  Hosea. 

10.  Children  of  Israel  are  probably  here  the  northern  Israel- 
ites.    As  the  sand  of  the  sea;  for  similar  promises,  cf.  Mic.  2:12; 

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And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that,  in  the  place  where  it 
was  said  unto  them,  Ye  are  not  my  people, 
it  shall  be  said  unto  them.  Ye  are  the  sons  of  the 
living  God. 
II.   And  the  children  of  Judah  and  the  children  of  Israel 
shall  be  gathered  together, 
and  they  shall  appoint  themselves  one  head,  and 

shall  go  up  from  the  land : 
for  great  shall  be  the  day  of  Jezreel. 
2.   Say  ye  unto  your  brethren,^  Ammi ;  ^ 
and  to  your  sisters,^  Ruhamah.^ 

IV.  Israel's  Sin,  Punishment,  Repentance,  and  Res- 
toration, 2 :  2-23 

I.   The  Sin  of  Israel,  2  :  2-5 

2.   Plead  ^  with  your  mother,  plead ;  ^ 
for  she  is  not  my  wife, 
neither  am  I  her  husband : 

1  Gr.  brother.  2  m.  ^j-y  people.  ^  Gr.  sister.  *  m.  That  hath  obtained  mercy. 
5  Gr.  and  Vg.  judge. 

Isa.  48 :  19.  In  the  place  where  it  was  said ;  better,  instead  of 
its  being  said.  Sons  of  the  living  God,  i.e.  in  distinction  from 
the  worshippers  of  lifeless  idols. 

II.  The  disruption  of  the  kingdom  was  brought  about  in  part 
by  the  influence  of  contemporary  prophets  (cf.  i  Kings  11  :  29  'ff. ; 
12  :  22  &.).  This  prophet  does  not  necessarily  condemn  that  act 
as  unwise  or  ungodly ;  but  he  does  look  forward  to  a  time  when 
the  schism  shall  be  healed;  cf.  Is.  11:  13;  Ezek.  37:  22.  One 
head,  i.e.  a  king  from  David's  line.  And  shall  go  up  from  the 
land,  i.e.  from  the  land  of  exile,  in  order  to  return  home.  The 
day  of  Je25reel ;  the  name  Jezreel  now  receives  a  new  interpreta- 
tion ;  whereas  in  i  :  4  it  signified  destruction,  it  here  means 
restoration.  It  is  the  day  of  Jehovah  upon  which  he  will  smite 
Israel's  foes  and  exalt  Israel  to  a  position  of  power. 

I.  This  repeats  essentially  the  thought  of  1:10;  cf.  2:23, 
Say  ye ;  it  is  not  clear  to  whom  this  is  addressed.     It  looks  much 

91 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


And  let  her  put   away  ^   her  whoredoms  from  her^ 
face, 
and  her  adulteries  from  between  her  breasts ; 

3.  Lest  I  strip  her  naked, 

and  set  her  as  in  the  day  that  she  was  bom, 
And  make  her  as  a  wilderness, 
and  set  her  ^  Hke  a  dry  land, 
and  slay  her  with  thirst ; 

4.  Yea,  upon  her  children  will  I  have  no  mercy ; 

for  they  be  children  of  whoredom. 

5.  For  their  mother  hath  played  the  harlot : 

she  that  conceived  them  hath  done  shamefully : 

1  Gr.  and  I  will  take  away.  ^  Gr.  my.  '  Syr.  omits  set  her. 

like  a  fragment  torn  from  its  original  context  and  misplaced  here. 
It  may  have  been  spoken  to  the  citizens  of  Judah,  urging  them  to 
recognize  and  receive  the  returning  exiles  from  Northern  Israel 
as  Jehovah's  people  ;  or  ta  those  who  had  remained  at  home,  call- 
ing them  to  welcome  the  returning  exiles. 

2.  Plead ;  better,  strive;  the  Israelites  are  addressed  as  in- 
dividuals. Your  mother,  i.e.  the  nation  as  a  whole.  For  she 
is  not  my  wife,  etc. ;  a  parenthetical  statement,  perhaps  added 
by  a  later  hand,  calling  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  natural 
relation  of  Jehovah  to  Israel  has  been  broken  off.  And  let  her 
put  away  her  whoredoms;  this  is  the  purpose  of  the  "  striving  " 
urged  upon  the  Israehtes.  The  worship  of  other  gods  by  Israel 
is  incompatible  with  loyalty  to  Jehovah. 

3.  Strip  her  naked;  the  figure  of  the  adulterous  woman  still 
holds.  We  have  no  other  reference  to  such  a  custom  as  this  in 
Israel,  though  it  is  known  to  have  been  in  force  elsewhere.  As 
in  the  day  that  she  was  born;  cf.  Ezek.  16:39.  Then  Israel 
was  without  any  kind  of  possessions  and  so  in  need  of  everything. 
And  make  her  as  a  wilderness,  etc. ;  the  figurative  element  here 
gives  way  to  the  real,  and  the  fate  awaiting  land  and  people  is 
set  forth. 

4.  Will  I  have  no  mercy ;  a  reaffirmation  of  1:6.  Children 
of  whoredom ;    cf.  i :  2. 

5.  Their  mother  hath  played  the  harlot,  i.e.  Israel  has  been 
false  to  Jehovah.  Children  suffer  for  the  parents'  sins  (cf. 
Deut.  5:9);    hence  the    individual    Israelites  bear  punishment 

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For  she  said,  I  will  go  after  my  lovers, 
that  give  me  my  bread  and  my  water, 
my  wool  and  my  flax, 
mine  oil  and  my  drink.^ 

2.   Jehovah  must  chastise  Israel,  2  :  6-13 

6.  Therefore,  behold,  I  will  hedge  up  thy  way^  with 

thorns, 
and  I  will  make  a  fence  against  her,  that  she  shall 
not  find  her  paths. 

7.  And  she  shall  follow  after  her  lovers,  but  she  shall 

not  overtake  them ; 
and  she  shall  seek  them,  but  shall  not  find  them : 
Then  shall  she  say,  I  will  go  and  return  to  my  first 

husband ; 
for  then  was  it  better  with  me  than  now. 

1  m.  Heb.  drinks.    Gr.  whatever  befits  me.  2  Qr.  her  way. 

for  the  sins  of  the  nation.  My  lovers,  i.e.  the  Baalim,  or  local 
deities  worshipped  in  Canaan  from  the  earliest  times  and  still 
recognized  in  Hosea's  day  as  the  givers  of  the  crops,  etc.  The 
struggle  between  Jehovah  and  the  Baalim  for  complete  suprem- 
acy in  Canaan  was  not  yet  finished.  Hosea  is  an  ardent  cham- 
pion of  Jehovah. 

Vss.  6  and  7  seem  out  of  place  here,  for  they  interrupt  the  ex- 
cellent connection  between  vs.  5  and  vs.  8  and  they  introduce  the 
element  of  punishment  somewhat  prematurely ;  it  is  not  in  place 
logically  before  the  close  of  vs.  9.  There  is  not  sufficient  reason, 
however,  for  denying  the  verses  to  Hosea;  they  have  simply 
been  misplaced  by  an  editor  of  the  book. 

6.  Thy  way;  better  as  in  Gr.  her  way;  "  d.  her  paths."  The 
ways  in  which  Israel  has  walked  are  to  be  rendered  impassable 
and  untraceable.  All  her  efforts  to  obtain  help  through  gods 
other  than  Jehovah  will  prove  futile. 

7.  The  blessings  Israel  expects  from  the  Baalim  will  utterly 
fail  her  in  spite  of  all  her  zeal  in  their  behalf. _  This  will  bring 
her  to  her  senses  and  drive  her  to  take  refuge  in  Jehovah.  For 
then  was  it  better  with  me  than  now ;   in  her  days  of  suffering 

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THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


8.  For  she  did  not  know  that  I  gave  her  the  corn,  and 

the  wine,  and  the  oil, 
and  multiplied  unto  her  silver  and  gold,  which  they 
used  for  Baal.^ 

9.  Therefore   will  I   take  back  ^  my  corn  in  the  time 

thereof, 
and  my  wine  in  the  season  thereof. 
And  will  pluck  away  my  wool,  and  my  flax  ^ 
which  should  have  covered  her  nakedness. 

10.  And  now  will  I  discover  her  lewdness^  in  the  sight 

of  her  lovers, 
and  none  shall  deliver  her  out  of  mine  hand. 

11.  I  will  also  cause  all  her  mirth  to  cease,  her  feasts, 

her  new  moons, 
and  her  sabbaths,  and  all  her  solemn  assemblies.^ 

1  Gr.  And  silver  I  have  multiplied  for  her.  This  one,  however,  made  (things)  of  silver 
and  gold  for  the  Baal.  Syr.  and  silver  and  gold  I  multiplied  to  her,  and  from  it  they  made 
Baal.  m.  made  into  the  image  of  Baal.  2  m.  return,  and  take  away.  ^  Gr.  iny 
garments.        ^ra.  shame.         ^  m..  appointed  feasts. 

and  disaster,  Israel  will  look  back  longingly  to  the  days  of  pros- 
perity when  she  served  Jehovah.  The  prophet  can  have  in  mind 
only  the  period  before  the  conquest  of  Canaan,  for  the  worship  of 
the  Baalim  by  Israel  set  in  immediately  thereafter. 

8.  This  is  in  direct  continuation  of  vs.  5.  Which  they  used 
for  Baal ;  this  is  the  climax  of  ingratitude  and  insult.  It  is  un- 
certain whether  the  use  spoken  of  was  that  these  things  were 
offered  to  the  Baalim  in  sacrifice,  etc.,  or  that  the  gold  and  silver 
had  been  converted  into  images  of  the  Baalim. 

9.  The  withdrawal  of  the  blessings  will  bring  Israel  to  a  recog- 
nition of  the  fact  that  they  do  not  come  from  the  Baalim,  but 
from  Jehovah,  For  all  the  prayers  and  offerings  presented  to  the 
Baalim  will  be  of  no  avail  in  bringing  back  the  desired  blessings. 
Covered  her  nakedness;   cf.  Ezek.  i6  :  8. 

10.  And  now,  i.e.  and  so,  or  consequently.  Her  lovers, 
i.e.  the  Baalim,  who  are  regarded  by  the  prophet  as  real  gods. 
And  none  shall  deliver  her ;  the  Baalim  will  be  forced  to  stand  by 
and  look  helplessly  upon  the  distress  of  Israel. 

11.  Her  mirth,  her  feasts,  etc. ;   it  is  noticeable  that  mirth  is 

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12.  And  I  will  lay  waste  her  vines  and  her  fig   trees, 

whereof  she  hath  said, 
these  are  my  hire  that  my  lovers  have  given  me : 
And  I  will  make  them  a  forest,^  and  the  beasts  of 
the  field  shall  eat  them. 

13.  and  I  will  visit  upon  her  the  days  of  the  Baalim, 

unto  which  she  burned  incense ;  ^ 
When  she  decked  herself  with  her  earrings^  and  her 
jewels, 
and  went  after  her  lovers,  and  forgat  me,  saith  the 
Lord. 

3.    The  Restoration  of  Israel  to  Jehovah^ s  Favor,  2  :  14-23 

14.  Therefore,  behold,  I  will  allure  her, 

and  bring  her  into  the  wilderness,  and  speak  com- 
fortably ^  unto  her. 

1  Gr.  a  witness.  2  m.  wherein  she  burned  incense  to  them.  ^  m.  nose-rings. 

*  m.  Heb^^to  her  heart. 

here  defined  as  consisting  in  religious  activities.  The  religion 
of  early  Israel  was  joyous  through  and  through  ;  cf.  Exod.  32  :  5  f . ; 
Judg.  21  :  19  ff. ;  I  Sam.  1:3,7,  13  ff.  There  was  as  yet  no  deep- 
seated  consciousness  of  the  wrath  of  Jehovah  resting  upon  Israel. 

12.  Vines  and  fig  trees,  representative  of  all  the  products  of 
the  soil.  My  hire  that  my  lovers  have  given  me ;  the  rewards 
given  Israel  by  the  Baalim  for  her  service.  A  forest ;  better,  a 
thicket,  as  also  in  i  Sam.  i4:25f. ;  Isa.  21:13;  Jer.  26:18. 
Beasts  of  the  field,  i.e.  wild  animals. 

13.  The  days  of  the  Baalim;  the  period  during  which  Israel 
has  worshipped  these  Canaanitish  gods.  Burned  incense ;  or 
more  generally,  made  offering.  Decked  herself;  the  figure  of 
the  harlot  is  still  in  mind ;  but  it  is  also  a  fact  that  jewelry  was 
often  a  part  of  Semitic  sacred  costumes.  Forgat  me ;  the  wor- 
ship of  the  Baalim  was  regarded  by  the  prophets  as  incompatible 
with  the  worship  of  Jehovah. 

14.  Israel  is  to  be  led  away  from  her  land  and  subjected  to 
gentle  discipline.  The  mercy  of  Jehovah  will  not  fail  her;  but  she 
will  be  sustained  thereby. 

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15.  And  I  will  give  her  her  vineyards^  from  thence, 

and  the  valley  of  Achor^  for  a  door  of  hope  :^ 
And  she  shall  make  answer^  there,  as  in  the  days  of 
her  youth, 
and  as  in  the  day  when  she  came  up  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt. 

16.  And  it  shall  be  at  that  day,  saith  the  Lord,  that 

thou  shalt  call  ^  me  Ishi ;  ^ 
and  shalt  call  ^  me  no  more  Baali.^ 

17.  For  I  will  take  away  the  names  of  the  Baalim  out 

of  her  mouth, 
and  they  shall  no  more  be   mentioned  ^  by  their 
name. 

18.  And  in  that  day  will  I  make  a  covenant  for  them 

with  the  beasts  of  the  field, 

^Gr.  her  vines;  Yg.  her  vinedressers.  '^  m.  i.e.,  troubling.  ^  Gr.  to  open  her 

understanding.    Vg.  to  open  hope.    Syr.  that  her  understanding  may  be  opened.         *  m. 
sing;  so  Vg.     Gr.  and  Syr.  be  humbled.  ^  Gr.,  Vg.,  he  will  call.  « m.  my  hus- 

band.       '  m.  my  master.        «  m.  be  remembered. 

15.  From  thence,  i.e.  she  will  be  restored  from  the  place 
of  exile  to  the  vineyards  whence  she  was  snatched  awsLy.  Valley 
of  Achor ;  a  valley  on  the  northern  boundary  of  Judah  (Josh. 
7  :  24;  15  :  7).  This  valley,  the  name  of  which  is  troubling,  will 
be  a  veritable  door  of  hope  to  the  returning  exiles  as  they  pass 
through  it  in  their  approach  to  Judah.  And  she  shall  make 
answer  there,  etc, ;  Israel  will  again  respond  joyfully  and  loyally 
to  Jehovah's  will,  as  she  did  in  the  days  of  her  early  history. 

16.  The  name  Ishi,  i.e.  my  husba?id,  expresses  the  new  con- 
ception of  Jehovah,  in  contrast  with  the  old,  denoted  by  the 
name  Baali,  i.e.  my  Baal,  or  my  master.  This  latter  name  implies 
the  thought  of  Jehovah  as  but  one  Baal  among  many  other 
Baals,  though  certainly  the  chief  Baal.  The  prophet  thinks  of 
Jehovah  as  radically  different  from  the  Baalim. 

17.  The  passing  away  of  the  Baals  will  be  so  complete  that 
their  very  names  will  be  forgotten. 

18.  This  idyllic  description  of  universal  peace,  not  only  be- 
tween man  and  man,  but  also  between  animals  and  man,  expresses 
the  longing  of  a  soul  weary  of  the  strife  and  bloodshed  of  the 

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and  with  the  fowls  of  heaven,  and  with  the  creep- 
ing things  of  the  ground : 
And  I  will  break  ^  the  bow  and  the  sword  and  the 
battle  out  of  the  land, 

and  will  make  them  to  lie  down  safely. 

19.  And  I  will  betroth  thee  unto  me  for  ever ; 

yea,  I  will  betroth  thee  unto  me  in  righteousness, 
and  in  judgement,  and  in  lovingkindness,  and  in 
mercies. 

20.  I  will  even  betroth  thee  unto  me  in  faithfulness : 

and  thou  shalt  know  the  Lord. 

21.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  I  will  answer,^ 

saith  the  Lord, 
I  will  answer  the  heavens,  and  they  shall  answer 
the  earth ; 

22.  And  the  earth  shall  answer  the  corn,  and  the  wine, 

and  the  oil ; 
and  they  shall  answer  Jezreel.^ 

1  Syr.,  Tg.  /  will  cause  to  cease.  2  Qj-.,  Syr.  om.  /  will  answer.  '  m.  i.e.,  whom 
God  soweth. 

world  as  he  has  known  it.  Many  scholars  regard  this  verse  as  a 
later  addition  to  the  book  of  Hosea,  but  such  hopes  as  these  are 
timeless.  They  have  no  roots  in  the  soil  of  any  particular  age, 
and  there  is  nothing  in  them  inconsistent  with  early  origin. 

19.  I  will  betroth  thee  unto  me  for  ever;  the  marriage  that 
has  been  broken  off  is  to  be  renewed,  never  to  be  sundered  again. 
Judgement;  perhaps,  better,  justice.  Righteousness,  justice, 
lovingkindness,  mercies,  and  faithfulness  (vs.  20)  are  to  be  the 
gifts  of  Jehovah  to  his  bride.  They  are  in  part  qualities  that  he 
desires  in  her  and,  in  part,  representative  of  his  own  attitude  toward 
her. 

20.  Thou  shalt  know  the  Lord;  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah 
that  results  from  this  process  of  discipline  and  education  fitting 
her  to  be  Jehovah's  bride  is  an  insight  into  his  real  character  and 
a  consequently  new  understanding  of  his  requirements,  which  are 
spiritual  and  moral,  and  cannot  be  satisfied  by  ritual. 

21-22.     The  people  of  Israel  (=  Jezreel),  in  the  good  days  to 

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THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


23.   And  I  will  sow  her  unto  me  in  the  earth  ;^ 

and  I  will  have  mercy  upon  her  that  had  not  ob- 
tained mercy ;  ^ 
And  I  will  say  to  them  which  were  not  my  people,^ 
Thou  art  my  people ; 
and  they  shall  say,  Thou  art  my  God. 

V.  Hosea's  Purchase  of  a  Wife  and  her  Discipline, 
3 '  1-5 

3.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  me,  Go  yet,  love  a  woman 
beloved  of  her  friend  and^  an  adulteress,  even  as  the 
Lord  loveth  the  children  of  Israel,  though  they  turn 
unto  other  gods,  and  love^  cakes  of  raisins.     So  I 

1  m.  land.  2  Heb.  Lo-ruhamah.  3  Heb.  Lo-ammi.  *  m.  of  her  husband, 

yet  an  etc.;  Gr.  and  Syr.  loving  evil  and  etc.         ^  m.  them  that  love  etc. 

come,  will  call  upon  the  soil  for  crops ;  they  in  turn  will  appeal 
to  the  heavens  for  rain ;  and  the  heavens  will  turn  to  Jehovah, 
the  giver  of  the  rain,  who  will  grant  the  coveted  blessing.  With- 
out his  aid,  there  can  be  no  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  the  earth ; 
cf.  2 :  8-13. 

23.  I  will  sow  her,  etc. ;  the  scattered  Israel  will  be  brought 
back  and  re-sown  in  her  own  land  that  she  may  bring  forth  fruit 
unto  Jehovah.  I  will  have  mercy,  etc. ;  the  old  relationship 
between  Jehovah  and  his  people  will  be  fully  restored ;    cf.  i  :  9. 

There  is  nothing  in  verses  21-23  that  is  inconsistent  with 
Hosea's  authorship.  He  certainly  entertained  hopes  for  his 
nation  after  the  days  of  punishment  and  purification  were  over. 
The  things  promised  here  are  but  the  restoration  of  what  had 
been  taken  away  in  punishment. 

On  the  general  bearing  of  this  chapter  upon  the  story  of  Hosea's 
life,  see  Introduction,  pp.  78-79. 

I.  Go  yet,  love  a  woman;  opinions  have  differed  as  to 
whether  this  was  a  command  to  renew  his  love  for  Gomer,  the 
first  wife,  and  to  restore  her  to  the  position  to  which  she  had 
forfeited  all  claim,  or  to  transfer  his  affections  to  another  woman 
of  equally  bad  reputation.  It  seems  more  likely,  however,  that 
this  is  but  another  version  of  the  story  of  his  first  marriage.  In 
that  case,  yet  is  either  due  to  the  pen  of  an  editor  who  did  not 

98 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


2.  bought  ^  her  to  me  for  fifteen  pieces  of  silver,  and  an 
homer  of  barley ,2  and  an  half  homer  ^  of  barley :  * 

3.  And  I  said  unto  her,  Thou  shalt  abide  for  me  many 
days ;  thou  shalt  not  play  the  harlot,  and  thou  shalt 
not  be  any  man's  wife  :  so  will  I  also  be  toward  thee. 

4.  For  the  children  of  Israel  shall  abide  many  days 
without  king,  and  without  prince,  and  without  sac- 
rifice,  and   without   pillar,^   and   without   ephod  or 

1  Gr.  and  Syr.  and  I  hired.  2  Syr_  omits  of  barley.  3  Heb.  lethech.        *  Gr.  a 

skin  of  wine.        ^  m.  obelisk;  Gr.,  Syr.,  and  Vg.  altar. 

understand  the  real  situation  and  regarded  this  as  a  new  stage 
in  Hosea's  marital  experience;  or,  better  still,  it  is  to  be  con- 
nected with  the  preceding  verb  and  translated,  And  Jehovah 
said  to  me  again,  Go,  etc.  This  implies  either  a  repetition  of  the 
command  to  marry  a  harlot,  or  a  previous  commission  that  has 
not  been  recorded  here.  Beloved  of  her  friend  and  an  adulteress ; 
"  friend  "  conveys  a  wrong  impression  here;  it  is  rather  a  para- 
mour; cf.  Jer.  3:1;  Lam.  1:2.  The  description  accords  per- 
fectly with  that  in  1:2.  Even  as  Hosea  will  love  her  while  she 
longs  for  other  men,  so  Jehovah  loves  Israel,  while  they  turn 
unto  other  gods,  i.e.  to  the  Baalim  of  the  local  shrines  through- 
out Israel;  cf.  2:8,  13,  17.  And  love  cakes  of  raisins;  these 
were  evidently  favorite  offerings  in  the  worship  of  the  Baalim ; 
cf.  2  Sam.  6  :  19. 

2.  So  I  bought  her  to  me;  this  militates  against  the  view 
that  the  woman  in  question  had  already  been  married  to  Hosea 
and  had  forsaken  him  for  another ;  for  in  that  case  Hosea  would 
be  under  no  obligation  to  pay  for  her  restoration  to  himself.  It 
is  rather  the  price  that  Hosea  paid  when  he  first  married  Gomer. 
Marriage  was  commonly  regarded  as  a  purchase  in  early  Israel ; 
cf.  Gen.  29:  15  ff.  An  homer,  i.e.  about  eight  bushels.  Half 
homer;  this  is  only  a  guess;  the  meaning  of  the  Heb.  word 
lethech  is  wholly  unknown. 

3.  The  evil  ways  of  the  past  must  be  forsaken  and  by  long 
isolation  she  may  fit  herself  to  be  Hosea's  wife  in  fact  as  well  as 
in  name.  Yet  Hosea  asks  of  his  wife  only  the  same  loyalty  that 
he  offers  on  his  own  part. 

4.  ^  Israel,  like  Hosea's  wife,  must  go  into  isolation  and  be 
deprived  of  all  her  legitimate  privileges,  both  political  and  reli- 
gious, that  thereby  she  may  come  into  a  true  appreciation  of 
Jehovah.     The  exile  is  clearly  foretold  here.     Pillar;    the  con- 

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THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


5.  teraphim  :^  afterward  shall  the  children  of  Israel  re- 
turn, and  seek  the  Lord  their  God,  and  David  their 
king ;  and  shall  come  with  fear  unto  the  Lord  and 
to  his  goodness  in  the  latter  days. 

VI.  Jehovah's  Quarrel  with  Israel,  4 : 1-19 
I.    The  Quarrel  and  its  Cause,  4 :  1-3 

4.   Hear  the  word  of  the  Lord,  ye  children  of  Israel : 
for  the  Lord  hath  a  controversy  with  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  land, 
because  there  is  no  truth,  nor  mercy,  nor  knowl- 
edge of  God  in  the  land. 

2.   There  is  nought   but   swearing   and  breaking  faith, 

1  Gr.  priesthood  or  oracles. 

secrated  stone  which  accompanied  practically  every  altar  and 
was  an  object  of  worship.  Ephod;  an  image,  probably  of 
Jehovah  (cf.  Judg.  8 :  26  f. ;  17:3,  5,  13;  i  Sam.  23  :  6,  9  ff.)> 
much  used  in  the  process  of  obtaining  oracles  from  Jehovah. 
Teraphim;  evidently  an  image  of  some  god  (cf.  Judg.  18:  20; 
I  Sam.  19 :  13),  and  apparently  in  good  repute  in  early  Israel. 

5.  The  exile  will  yield  fruits  of  righteousness  for  Israel; 
she  will  be  cured  of  her  idolatrous  practices.  David  their  king; 
the  prophet  looks  for  a  reunion  of  the  two  kingdoms  under  the 
Davidic  dynasty  in  the  post-exilic  period.  Come  with  fear; 
an  attitude  of  awe  will  characterize  their  relations  to  Jehovah 
because  of  the  terrible  chastisement  they  have  endured.  And 
to  his  goodness,  i.e.  his  blessings.  In  the  latter  days;  the 
indefinite  future. 

1.  A  controversy;  a  term  denoting  a  case  in  court.  Truth, 
mercy,  knowledge  of  God ;  these  are  the  requirements  of  Jehovah 
from  his  people.  The  moral  qualities  have  their  root  in  a  right 
conception  of  God. 

2.  Swearing;  not  profanity,  but  the  taking  of  an  oath  in  the 
name  of  Jehovah,  which  is  right  enough  in  itself.  But  they  take 
such  oaths  only  in  the  expectation  of  breaking  faith,  which  was 
one  of  the  most  heinous  of  offences.  This  and  the  following 
crimes  show  a  condition  of  moral  chaos  in  Israel  such  as  set  in 


THE  BOOK  OF  ROSEA 


and  killing,  and  stealing,  and  committing  adultery ; 
they  break  out,^  and  blood  toucheth^  blood. 

3.  Therefore    shall    the    land    mourn,  and    every  one 

that  dwelleth  therein  shall  languish,^ 
with  the  beasts   of    the   field  ^    and  the    fowls  of 
heaven ; 
Yea,  the  fishes  of  the  sea  also  shall  be  taken  away.^ 

2.  The  Priest^ s  Responsibility  for  Israel's  Sifij  4:4-6 

4.  Yet  ^  let  no  man  strive,  neither  let  any  man  reprove ; 

for  thy  people  are  as  they  that  strive  with  the  priest.^ 

1  Gr.  {and  committing  adultery)  are  poured  out  upon  the  land.  Vg.  have  overflowed. 
Syr.  have  spread.  ^  Syr.  mingles  with.  *  Gr.  shall  be  diminished  with  all  etc.  Syr. 
shall  mourn.  *  Gr.  adds  and  with  the  creeping  things  of  the  earth.  ^  Vg.  shall  be 

gathered  together.  Gr.  shall  depart.  ^  Vg.,  however.  Syr.  because  no  one  is  etc.  Gr. 
in  order  that  no  etc.  ">  Gr.,  my  people  are  like  a  rebellious  priest.  Syr.,  thy  people  are 
striving  like  a  priest. 

after  the  death  of  Jeroboam  II.  They  break  out;  the  precise 
meaning  here  eludes  us ;  some  would  refer  it  to  burglars  breaking 
in  and  plundering  houses.  Some  regime  of  violence  is  evidently 
thus  characterized.  A  slight  change  of  text  would  yield  they 
crush,  i.e.  the  poor.  Blood  toucheth  blood;  one  crime  follows 
hard  upon  the  heels  of  another. 

3.  Shall  the  land  mourn;  better,  here  and  in  the  following 
verbs,  taken  as  present,  doth  the  land  mourn,  this  and  the  following 
being  a  description  and  explanation  of  the  existing  conditions, 
rather  than  a  threat  for  the  future.  The  prophet,  apparently, 
is  speaking  at  a  time  of  severe  drought.  Every  one  that  dwelleth 
therein,  including  both  man  and  beast,  as  the  verse  goes  on  to 
state.  The  fishes  of  the  sea;  this  item  might  be  urged  as 
pointing  to  a  coming  rather  than  a  present  disaster,  on  the 
ground  that  no  actually  existing  drought  ever  had  so  terrible 
an  effect.  But  allowance  must  always  be  made  for  the  rhetorical 
language  of  the  prophets.  The  word  sea  is  at  times  used  of 
"  rivers,"  and  the  drying  up  of  rivers,  with  consequent  disaster 
to  the  fish  in  them,  is  a  natural  result  of  drought. 

4.  Yet  let  no  man  strive,  etc. ;  no  one  is  in  a  position  to  com- 
plain against  another,  for  they  are  all  alike  guilty.  For  thy 
people,  etc. ;  better,  with  a  slight  change  of  text,  for  my  people 
are  like  its  priestlings,  people  and  priests  are  alike  bad. 


THE   BOOK   OF  HOSEA 


5.  And  thou  shalt  stumble  ^  in  the  day,  and  the 

prophet  also  shall  stumble  with  thee^  in  the  night ; 
and  I  will  destroy  thy  mother.^ 

6.  My  people  are  destroyed^  for  lack  of  knowledge : 

because  thou  hast  rejected  knowledge,  I  will  also 
reject^  thee,  that  thou  shalt  be  no  priest  to  me : 
Seeing  thou  hast  forgotten  the  law  of  thy  God, 
I  also  will  forget  thy  children. 

3.    The  Contagion  of  the  Priest'' s  Wickedness,  4 :  7-10 

7.  As  they  were  multiplied,  so  they  sinned  against  me :  ^ 

I  will  change^  their  glory  into  shame. 

1  Gr.  and  he  shall  he  weak.  Syr.  and  thou  shall  he  heavy.  ^  Some  MSS.  of  Gr.  him. 
'  Gr.  hy  night  I  made  thy  mother  similar.  Vg.  at  night  I  made  thy  mother  silent.  Syr. 
and  thy  mother  was  silent.  *  Gr.  was  made  similar.  Vg..  was  silent.  ^  m.  according  to 
another  reading,  /  have  rejected.   ^  Syr.  omits  against  me.   ''  Syr.  and  Tg.  they  changed. 

5.  And  thou  shalt  stumble  in  the  day;  better,  connecting 
the  last  word  of  vs.  4  with  this  vs.,  O  priest,  thou  shall  stumble  by 
day.  This  is  an  announcement  of  the  fate  awaiting  the  priest- 
hood ;  in  the  full  light  of  day,  the  priests  will  be  unable  to  con- 
trol their  course.  And  the  prophet,  i.e.  the  self-seeking  prophets 
who  prostitute  their  high  calling  to  base  ends.  In  the 
night;  the  very  time  when  the  prophet  was  most  apt  to  receive 
his  visions  and  dreams  will  be  the  time  of  his  downfall ;  there 
will  be  no  guiding  vision  for  him.  And  I  will  destroy  thy  mother ; 
if  the  text  is  correct,  "  mother  "  must  designate  either  the  nation 
as  a  whole  or  the  priestly  order.  But  probably  the  text  should 
be  corrected  to  read  thy  people,  i.e.  the  nation  of  Israel. 

6.  For  lack  of  knowledge;  Israel  has  refused  to  learn  the 
lessons  taught  by  the  prophets ;  hence,  she  must  come  to  ruin. 
Knowledge  of  the  true  character  of  Jehovah  and  his  requirements 
is  what  the  prophet  laments  as  wanting.  Thou ;  evidently,  the 
priesthood.  The  northern  priesthood  is  to  be  discredited  in  the 
eyes  of  all  by  the  fall  of  the  kingdom.  The  law  of  thy  God; 
this  was  chiefly  the  oral  teachings  of  the  priests  and  prophets, 
though  the  Decalogue  and  the  Covenant  Code  were  probably 
already  in  existence.  Thy  children,  either  the  descendants  of  the 
priests  of  Hosea's  day,  or  the  people  in  general ;  cf .  the  Catholic 
designation  of  the  priest  as  "  father." 

7.  They  signifies  the  priests;    cf.  vs.  8.     Prosperity  has  made 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


8.  They  feed  on  the  sin^  of  my  people, 

and  set  their  heart  on  their  iniquity .^ 

9.  And  it  shall  be,  like  people,  like  priest : 

and  I  will  punish  them  for  their  ways,  and  will 
reward  them  their  doings. 

10.  And  they  shall  eat,  and  not  have  enough ; 

they  shall  commit  whoredom,  and  shall  not  increase :  ^ 
because  they  have  left  off  to  take  heed  to  the  Lord.* 

4.    The  Sensual  Idolatry  of  Israel,  4 :  11- 14 

II.   Whoredom  and  wine  and  new  wine  take  away  the 
understanding.^ 

1  Gr.  and  Vg.  sins.  2  Qr.  their  iniquities.  '  Gr.  shall  not  find  pleasure.  Vg.  and 
have  ceased.  •*  Gr.  have  forsaken  Jehovah  in  order  to  preserve  ([vs.  ii]  harlotry) ;  Syr. 
have  forsaken  Jehovah  and  love  ([vs.  11]  harlotry).        ^  Heb.  heart. 

them  more  sinful.  I  will  change  is  better  read,  as  in  Syr.  and  Tg., 
they  have  changed.  Their  glory,  i.e.  their  position  as  represen- 
tatives of  Jehovah,  the  righteous  God. 

8.  The  sin  of  my  people  is  the  fact  that  they  multiply  sacri- 
fices and  offerings  to  Jehovah  in  the  belief  that  this  is  the  kind  of 
worship  which  he  most  desires.  The  priests  indorse  that  point 
of  view,  for  it  adds  greatly  to  their  own  resources,  seeing  that 
they  receive  a  share  of  the  sacrifices.  Their  iniquity ;  the  sin  of 
the  people  in  the  practice  of  the  sacrificial  cultus. 

9.  And  it  shall  be ;  better,  it  has  come  to  he.  Like  people, 
like  priest;  both  are  equally  guilty.  Those  who  should  have 
furnished  an  example  of  holy  and  godly  life  are  no  better  than 
the  corrupt  masses.  Therefore,  punishment  awaits  both  priests 
and  people. 

10.  Famine  will  be  one  element  in  the  work  of  chastisement. 
Shall  not  increase,  i.e.  shall  have  no  children;  but  children 
were  not  sought  from  such  sensual  practices.  Hence,  it  is  better 
to  follow  the  Greek  rendering  and,  slightly  changing  the  text, 
read,  shall  find  no  satisfaction.  Heedlessness  of  Jehovah's  will 
cannot  go  unpunished. 

11.  This  is  a  parenthetic  comment  interrupting  the  progress 
of  thought  from  vs.  10  to  vs.  12.  It  probably  originated  as  a 
marginal  note  by  some  editor  or  reader.  Debauchery  makes 
fools  of  men. 

103 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


12.  My  people  ask  counsel  at  their  stock, 

and  their  staff  declareth  unto  them : 
For  the  spirit  of  whoredom  hath  caused  them  to  err, 
and  they  have  played  the  harlot  from  under  their 
God. 

13.  They  sacrifice  upon  the  tops  of  the  mountains, 

and  burn  incense  upon  the  hills, 
Under  oaks  and  poplars  and  terebinths, 

because  the  shadow  thereof  is  good : 
Therefore  your  daughters  play  the  harlot, 

and  your  brides^  commit  adultery. 

14.  I  will  not  punish  your  daughters  when  they  play 

the  harlot, 

nor  your  brides^  when  they  commit  adultery; 
For  they  themselves  go  apart  with  harlots, 
and  they  sacrifice  with  the  harlots : 


m.  daughters-in-law. 


12.  Their  stock,  their  staff,  evidently  a  protest  against  the 
consultation  of  images  for  the  purpose  of  learning  the  divine  will. 
The  images  referred  to  may  possibly  have  been  the  ephod  and 
teraphim.  The  spirit  of  whoredom,  played  the  harlot ;  these 
expressions  are  figurative,  denoting  Israel's  disloyalty  to  Jehovah. 

13.  Sacrifice  upon  the  tops  of  the  mountains ;  a  practice  taken 
over  from  the  Canaanitish  Baalism  and  therefore  obnoxious  to 
Jehovah.  Bum  incense ;  better,  make  oferings;  the  term  is 
comprehensive  enough  to  include  incense  offerings,  but  cannot 
be  confined  to  them.  Under  oaks,  etc. ;  trees  have  always  oc- 
cupied an  important  place  in  nature  religions,  being  looked  upon 
as  favorite  lodging  places  of  deity.  Therefore  your  daughters 
play  the  harlot,  etc. ;  the  practice  of  licentious  rites  was  a  vital 
part  of  Baalism  and  religions  related  to  it.  If  the  fathers  take  up 
the  cultus  of  the  Baalim,  they  need  not  be  surprised  when  their 
daughters  depart  from  the  path  of  virtue. 

14.  Though  the  women  are  guilty,  yet  they  will  not  be  pun- 
ished, for  the  responsibility  for  their  guilt  rests  upon  their  fathers 
and  husbands  who  led  the  way  into  guilt.  Go  apart ;  it  seems  to 
have  been  the  custom  to  indulge  in  these  licentious  practices  out- 

104 


THE   BOOK  OF  HOSE  A 


And  the  people  that  doth  not  understand  shall  be 
overthrown.^ 

5.   Israel's  Incurable  Guilt,  4 :  15-19 

15.  Though  thou,  Israel,  play  the  harlot, 

yet  let  not  Judah  offend  ;2 
And  come  not  ye  unto  Gilgal, 
neither  go  ye  up  to  Beth-aven,^ 
nor  swear,  As  the  Lord  liveth. 

16.  For   Israel   hath   behaved   himself   stubbornly,  like 

a  stubborn^  heifer : 
now  will  the  Lord  feed  them  as  a  lamb  in  a  large 
place. 

1  Gr.  the  people  that  understands  was  entangled  {with  harlotry  [using  two  first  words 
of  vs.  15]).  2  m.  become  guilty.  Gr.  bid  thou,  Israel,  do  not  err;  and  Judah,  do  not 
enter  into  Gilgal,  etc.  Sjt.  Israel,  do  not  thou  make  Judah  guilty.  ^  Gr.  to  the  house  of 
On.  Tg.  Bethel.      ^  Vg.  lascivious. 

side  of  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  sanctuaries.  Harlots,  i.e. 
women  who  sacrificed  their  virtue  in  honor  of  the  deity  and  were 
regarded  as  "holy"  on  that  account.  Doth  not  understand; 
the  only  basis  for  national  perpetuity  is  a  right  conception  of 
God  and  of  his  requirements. 

15.  Some  scholars  regard  this  vs.  as  of  later  origin,  because  of 
its  reference  to  Judah  and  the  different  attitude  toward  Judah  in 
5  :  5,  10,  13  f. ;  6:4.  But  only  the  first  half  of  the  vs.  concerns 
Judah ;  Israel  and  Judah  were  so  vitally  related  that  a  prophet 
could  hardly  avoid  considering  them  both  together ;  and  the  wish 
that  Judah  might  refrain  from  sin  is  not  inconsistent  with  the 
fact  that  she  has  already  become  guilty.  Come  not  ye,  addressed 
to  Israel.  Gilgal,  the  northern  city  by  that  name.  Beth-aven, 
probably  a  sarcastic  pun  on  "Beth-el,"  viz.  "  house  of  sin  "  for 
"  house  of  God."  Nor  swear,  etc.;  not  a  prohibition  of  profan- 
ity, nor  of  taking  oath  by  the  name  of  Jehovah ;  for  that  was  later 
inculcated;  cf.  Deut.  6:13;  10:20.  Probably  the  phrase  a^ 
Beersheba  has  dropped  out  because  of  its  similarity  in  Hebrew 
to  the  word  "  swear  " ;    cf.  Am.  5:5;    8:14. 

16.  Stubbornly,  i.e.  has  refused  to  be  lead  or  driven  in  Jeho- 
vah's vv^ay.  Now  will  the  Lord  feed  them,  etc. ;  better,  as  a 
question  implying   the   unreasonableness   of    such   expectations, 

105 


17 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


17.  Ephraim  is  joined  to  idols ;  let  him  alone. ^ 

18.  their  drink  is  become  sour :  2 
They  play  the  harlot  continually ; 

her  rulers^  dearly  love  shame.* 

19.  The  wind  hath  wrapped  her  up  in  its  wings ;  ^ 

and  they  shall  be  put  to  shame  because  of  their 
sacrifices.® 

VII.  Jehovah's  Judgment  upon  Israel,  5 : 1-14 
I.   IsraeVs  Ignorance  and  Pride,  5  : 1-7 


5.   Hear  this,  O  ye  priests, 

and  hearken,  ye  house  of  Israel, 


1  Gr.  he  has  made  for  himself  stumbling-blocks.    Vg.  send  him  away.  2  m.  their 

carouse  is  over.  Gr.  he  has  chosen  Canaanites.  Vg.  their  banquet  was  separated.  Syr. 
omits  the  phrase.  ^  jjeb.  shields.  *  m.  they  are  given  up  to  love;  her  rulers  are  a 
shame.  Gr.  they  loved  shame  from  its  wantonness.  Vg.  they  loved  to  bear  away  the  shame 
of  its  protectors.  Syr.  and  they  loved  shame  and  fear.  ^  m.  skirts.  Gr.  a  storm  of 
wind  art  thou  in  her  wings.  Syr.  the  wind  will  howl  in  her  wings.  ^  Gr.,  Syr.,  and 
Tg.  their  altars,    m.  their  altars  shall  be  put  to  shame. 

viz.  now  can  Jehovah  feed  them,  etc.  ?  Their  conduct  has  made  it 
impossible. 

17.  Israel's  league  is  with  alien  gods,  not  with  Jehovah.  He 
is  inseparably  attached  to  them ;  it  is  useless  to  expend  efforts  to 
change  his  course.  Idols  are  here  the  golden  calves  established 
by  Jeroboam  II  as  representative  of  Jehovah  (cf.  8:5),  and  other 
images  connected  with  Baal  worship. 

18.  The  text  of  this  vs.  is  in  very  bad  condition;  the  Hebrew 
in  its  present  form  is  practically  untranslatable.  The  uncer- 
tainty is  reflected  in  the  renderings  of  the  ancient  versions. 
Their  drink  is  become  sour ;  this  is  a  most  unlikely  rendering  of 
the  Hebrew  and,  furthermore,  yields  no  sense  here.  The  only 
possible  translation  of  the  Hebrew  is,  their  drunkenness  has 
departed.  A  slight  change  of  text  yields,  A  company  of  sots! 
They  are  devoted  to  wine  and  women.  Her  rulers  dearly  love 
shame ;  the  literal  Hebrew  shields  is  used  for  "  rulers  "  also  in 
Ps.  47  :  9  ;   89  :  18.     They  have  really  lost  all  sense  of  shame. 

19.  Israel  will  be  swept  away  to  destruction  as  hy  a  violent 
wind.  Because  of  their  sacrifices ;  better,  with  the  versions,  and 
they  shall  be  ashamed  of  their  altars.     The  disaster  which  Jehovah 

1 06 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


And  give  ear,  O  house  of  the  king, 

for  unto  you  pertaineth^  the  judgement : 

For  ye  have  been  a  snare  at  Mizpah,^ 
and  a  net  spread  upon  Tabor. 

2.  And  the  revolters  are  gone  deep  in  making  slaugh- 

ter ;3 

but  I  am  a  rebuker  ^  of  them  all.^ 

3.  I  know  Ephraim, 

and  Israel  is  not  hid  from  me : 
For  now,  O  Ephraim,  thou  hast  played^  the  harlot, 
Israel  is  defiled. 


^m.  against  you  is.        2  Gr.  and  Vg.  in  the  watch.       'm.  {and  the  revolters   are 

gone  deep)  in  corruption.     Gr.  which  those  hunting  the  chase  fixed  fast.  Vg.  and  victims 

thou  hast  turned  down  into  depth.      «  Heb.  a  rebuke.       »  Gr.  of  you.  ^  Gr.,  Syr.,  and 
Vg.  Ephraim  has  played. 

will  send  will  show  the  powerlessness  of  the  religion  practised  at 
these  altars. 

1.  Both  religious  and  secular  authorities  are  included  with 
the  nation  as  a  whole,  as  being  especially  guilty.  To  you; 
probably  addressed  particularly  to  the  last-mentioned  class,  the 
princes  and  courtiers.  The  judgement;  not  in  the  sense  of^  a 
sentence  of  condemnation,  but  rather  as  meaning  "  the  exercise 
of  justice."  The  nobles  are  the  ones  especially  responsible  for 
the  preservation  of  right.  But  instead  of  that  they  have  been 
a  snare  at  Mizpah  and  a  net  spread  upon  Tabor ;  the  figure  is 
of  huntsmen  laying  traps  for  the  unwary  and  innocent.  No 
reason  is  known  for  the  express  mention  of  Mizpah  and  Tabor 
here. 

2.  And  the  revolters  are  gone  deep  in  making  slaughter; 
better,  with  a  correction  of  text,  and  the  pit  of  Shittim  they  have 
made  deep.  That  the  Hebrew  text  has  undergone  corruption  ap- 
pears from  the  renderings  of  the  versions  and  from  the  lack  of 
meaning  that  it  yields  in  this  context.  As  corrected,  the  figure 
of  the  hunter  is  carried  on.  The  pit  was  used  for  the  capturing 
of  large  animals.  But  I  am  a  rebuker  of  them  all ;  better,  with 
one  slight  change  of  text,  and  there  is  no  rebuke  for  any  of  them. 
They  sin  with  impunity. 

3.  Though  Israel  knows  not  Jehovah,  he  knows  Israel 
through  and  through. 

107 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


4.  Their  doings  will  not  suffer  them^  to  turn  unto  their 

God: 
for  the  spirit  of  whoredom  is  within  2  them,  and 
they  know  not  the  Lord. 

5.  And  the  pride ^  of  Israel  doth  testify^  to  his  face: 

therefore    Israel  and  Ephraim    shall    stumble  in 
their  iniquity; 
Judah  also  shall  stumble  with  them. 

6.  they  shall  go  with  their    flocks  and  with    their 

herds  to  seek  the  Lord  ; 
But  they  shall  not  find  him; 
he  hath  withdrawn  himself  from  them. 

7.  They  have  dealt  treacherously  against  the  Lord  : 

for  they  have  borne  ^  strange  children : 
Now  shall  the  new  moon^  devour  them  with  their 
fields.^ 

1  m.  they  will  not  frame  their  doings.  ^  m.  in  the  midst  of.  «  m.  the  excellency. 
*  Gr.,  Syr.  shall  he  humbled,  s  m.  together.  Gr.  have  been  begotten  to  them.  ^  m.  a 
month.    Gr.  mildew.      ''  Heb.  portions. 

4.  They  are  so  enmeshed  in  evil  that  they  have  no  power  to 
repent  and  seek  Jehovah.  The  spirit  of  whoredom  is  here  appar- 
ently the  spirit  of  devotion  to  other  gods.  Hence  it  is  impossible 
that  they  should  properly  know  the  Lord. 

5.  The  pride  of  Israel  is  probably  Israel's  arrogant  confidence 
in  the  all-sufficiency  of  its  ritualistic  worship  of  Jehovah.  Doth 
testify ;  better  will  testify,  i.e.  will  prove  its  falsity  and  empti- 
ness in  the  coming  time  of  trial.  Judah  also,  etc.;  these  words 
are  dropped  as  a  gloss  by  some  scholars,  but  without  sufficient 
reason;   cf.  4:  15  ;   6:4. 

6.  No  matter  how  persistent  and  abundant  the  sacrifices,  they 
will  be  unable  to  obtain  any  response  from  Jehovah  to  their 
appeals.  For  their  seeking  will  be  actuated  by  false  ideas  and 
unworthy  motives. 

7.  Dealt  treacherously;  have  been  unfaithful,  disloyal. 
Borne  strange  children ;  the  children  do  but  follow  in  their  fathers' 
steps;  they  have  no  place  among  those  who  have  been  brought 
up  "  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord."  Now  shall 
the  new  moon  devour  them;    the  precise  meaning  here  is  very 

108 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA  5:10 


2.   Ephraim's  Downfall,  5  :  8-14 

8.  Blow  ye  the  cornet  in  Gibeah,^ 

and  the  trumpet  in  Ramah :  ^ 
Sound  an  alarm  at  Beth-aven,^ 
behind  thee,  O  Benjamin.'* 

9.  Ephraim  shall  become  a  desolation  in  the  day  of 

rebuke : 
among  the  tribes  of  Israel  have  I  made  known  that 

which  shall  surely  be. 
10.   The  princes  of  Judah  are  like  them  that  remove  the 
landmark : 

I  will  pour  out  my  wrath  upon  them  like  water. 

1  Gr.  upon  the  hills.  2  Qr.'  upon  the  heights.  '  Gr.  in  the  house  of  On.  _  *  m. 
After  thee,  Benjamin!  Gr.  Benjamin  trembled.     Vg.  behind  thy  back,  Benjamin. 

uncertain.  Perhaps,  it  may  be  interpreted  as  a  threat  that  de- 
struction may  overtake  them  within  a  month.  Or,  it  may  refer 
to  the  practice  of  moon-worship  in  Israel  and  thus  mean  that  this 
idolatry  will  but  involve  Israel  in  ruin.  With  their  fields;  i.e. 
the  products  of  their  fields. 

8.  A  vivid  announcement  of  approaching  disaster  at  the  hands 
of  an  enemy.  The  towns  Gibeah  and  Ramah  were,  as  their 
names  indicate,  located  on  heights,  and  hence  fit  places  from  which 
to  sound  the  alarm.  Beth-aven  (=  house  of  wickedness)  is  al- 
most certainly  a  term  of  reproach  used  instead  of  Bethel  (  =  house 
of  God).  Bethel  was  only  about  ten  miles  to  the  north  of  Jeru- 
salem, while  Ramah  and  Gibeah  were  right  under  the  shadow  of 
the  southern  capital.  Behind  thee,  O  Benjamin;  if  the  text  be 
correct,  this  is  evidently  some  cry  of  alarm,  or  summons  to  flight. 
It  is  probable  that  we  should  follow  the  suggestion  furnished  by 
the  Greek,  and  change  the  text  slightly  so  as  to  read,  make 
Benjamin  to  tremble.  The  disasters  in  the  neighboring  regions 
will  terrify  Benjamin. 

9.  Become  a  desolation;  this  was  literally  done  in  722  b.c. 
by  the  Assyrians  under  Sargon.  Have  ^  I  made  known ;  the 
prophet  asserts  the  certainty  of  the  coming  judgment. 

10.  The  princes  of  Judah ;  some  scholars  change  Judah  to 
Israel  here  and  in  the  following  verses,  on  the  ground  that  Hosea 
concerned  himself  wholly  with  the  North.     But  this  seems  of 

109 


II  THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


11.  Ephraim  is  oppressed/  lie  is  crushed ^  in  judgement, 

because  he  was  content^  to  walk  after  the  com- 
mand.^ 

12.  Therefore  am  I^  unto  Ephraim  as  a  moth,^ 

and  to  the  house  of  Judah  as  rottenness.^ 

13.  When  Ephraim  saw  his  sickness, 

and  Judah  saw  his  wound,^ 
Then  went  Ephraim  to  Assyria, 

and  sent  ^  to  King  Jareb :  ^^ 
But  he  is  not  able  to  heal  you, 

neither  shall  he  cure  you  of  your  wound. 

1  Gr.  Ephraim  oppressed  his  opponent.  2  Gr.  he  trampled  down.  '  Gr.  he  began. 
<  Gr.  and  Syr.  after  vanity.  Yg.  after  filth.  ^  m.  And  I  was.  ^  Gr.  like  confusion. 
''  Gr.  like  a  goad.  «  Qr.  ifig  pain.  Vg.  the  bond.  ^  Gr.  sent  elders.  i"  m.  a  king 
that  should  contend.    Gr.  King  Jareim.    Vg.  the  king,  the  avenger. 

doubtful  validity,  when  we  recall  that  the  warning  cry  of  vs.  8 
was  addressed  to  towns  near  the  border  of  Judah  and  to  Ben- 
jamin, a  part  of  the  Southern  Kingdom.  Remove  the  landmark ; 
one  of  the  crimes  most  reprehensible  in  the  sight  of  the  prophet's 
hearers.  These  marks  indicated  the  extent  of  a  person's  property 
and  were  easily  moved  so  as  to  increase  the  area  of  one  man's 
land  and  decrease  his  neighbor's. 

11.  Ephraim  is  oppressed,  etc.;  the  miseries  that  Israel 
already  endures  are  easily  accounted  for.  Crashed  in  judgement, 
i.e.  the  judgment  of  God,  which  has  already  begun  to  overtake 
the  land.  Was  content  to;  better,  has  deliberately.  Walk 
after  the  command ;  this  is  so  ambiguous  that  it  is  probable  the 
text  is  wrong.  It  is  better  to  follow  the  Greek  and  Syriac  render- 
ing, walked  after  vanity,  viz.  the  idol  gods  of  Canaan. 

12.  As  a  moth,  as  rottenness;  internal  corruption  and  decay 
will  but  make  the  work  of  the  foreign  invader  more  easy.  Israel 
and  Judah  were  so  closely  related  geographically,  politically, 
economically,  and  socially  that  the  disaster  of  one  must  be  the 
disaster  of  both. 

13.  Went  Ephraim  to  Assyria,  and  sent  to  King  Jareb  ;  realiz- 
ing the  desperate  situation  in  which  she  is,  Ephraim  has  tried 
to  form  an  alliance  with  Assyria.  No  king  Jareb  is  known.  It 
is  probable  that,  with  a  slight  correction,  we  should  read,  the 
great  king,  a  common  designation  of  Assyria's  rulers.  No  other 
testimony  is  at  hand  regarding  any  friendly  relations  between 

no 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA  6:15 


14.  For  I  will  be  unto  Ephraim  as  a  lion,^ 

and  as  a  young  lion  to  the  house  of  Judah : 
I,  even  I,  will  tear  and  go  away ; 

I  will  carry  off,  and  there  shall  be  none  to  deliver. 

VIII.   Israel's  Facile  Repentance  and  Indelible 
Guilt,  5: 15-6: 11 

I.   IsraeVs  Repentance,  5  :  15-6  :  3 

15.  I  will  go  and  return  to  my  place, 

till  they  acknowledge  their  offence,^  and  seek  my 
face: 
In  their  affliction  they  will  seek  me  earnestly.^ 
6.         Come,^  and  let  us  return  unto  the  Lord:^ 
For  he  hath  torn,  and  he  will  heal  us ; 
he  hath  smitten,  and  he  Avill  bind  us  up. 

1  Gr.  panther.  ^  m.  have  borne  their  guilt.  Gr.  have  disappeared  {i.e.  have  been 
destroyed).  Vg.  you  fail.  ^m.  adds  saying;  so  also  Gr.,  Syr.,  and  Tg.  *  Gr.  and 
Syr.  let  us  go.      ^  Gr.  adds  our  God. 

Assyria  and  Israel  prior  to  734  B.C.  Hosea  saw  no  possibility  of 
aid  in  that  direction.  The  prophets  always  inculcated  reliance 
upon  Jehovah  rather  than  upon  foreign  help. 

14.  It  is  useless  to  seek  aid  from  Assyria,  since  the  source  of 
Israel's  trouble  is  Jehovah  himself  whose  treatment  of  his  people 
will  be  as  destructive  and  irreparable  as  the  lion's  attack  upon  a 
flock. 

15.  Acknowledge  their  offence  ;  better,  following  the  versions, 
become  confounded.  Jehovah  intends  to  leave  Israel  to  itself. 
Then,  realizing  need  of  him,  Israel  will  repent,  confess  its  sins,  and 
seek  Jehovah.  Seek  me  earnestly;  better  seek  me.  When  in 
trouble,  resort  will  be  made  to  Jehovah  for  relief,  a  common 
human  method  of  procedure. 

I.  Come,  etc.;  these  words  are  best  treated,  with  the  ver- 
sions, as  belonging  to  the  seekers  of  5:15.  And  he  will  heal 
us  ;  rather,  that  he  may  heal  us.  The  punishment  of  Jehovah  has 
been  bestowed  only  that  he  may  have  the  joy  of  forgiving  Israel 
in  response  to  its  cries.  And  he  will  bind ;  rather,  that  he  may 
bind.,  as  in  the  foregoing  phrase.     Israel  thus,  in  its  very  resolu- 

III 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


2.  After  two  days  will  he  revive  us:  on^  the  third  day 

he  will  raise  us  up,^  and  we  shall  live  before  him. 

3.  And  let  us  know, 

let  us  follow  on  to  know  the  Lord  ; 
his  going  forth  ^  is  sure  as  the  morning  : 
And  he  shall  come  unto  us  as  the  rain, 
as  the  latter  rain  that  watereth  the  earth. 


2.  Jehovah's  Resentment,  6 :  4-6 

4.   O  Ephraim,  what  shall  I  do  unto  thee  ? 
O  Judah,  what  shall  I  do  unto  thee  ? 
For  your  goodness^  is  as  a  morning  cloud, 
and  as  the  dew  that  goeth  early  away. 

1  Syr.  and  on.     2  Qr.  a,g  shall  stand  up.     '  Gr.  we  shall  find  hint.     *  m.  kindness. 

tion  to  seek  Jehovah,  shows  its  utter  inability  to  comprehend  its 
own  sinfulness  or  Jehovah's  attitude  toward  it. 

2.  After  two  days  will  he  revive  us :  on  the  third  day  he  will 
raise  us  up ;  rather,  he  will  revive  us  after  a  couple  of  days,  or  on 
the  third  day.  He  will  raise  us  up,  etc. ;  Israel  looks  upon  her 
disasters  as  only  temporary ;  Jehovah  will  soon  restore  her  to 
the  favor  and  prosperity  she  once  enjoyed.  Live  before  him, 
i.e.  under  his  favoring  eye. 

3.  Let  us  know,  let  us  follow  on  to  know  the  Lord,  i.e.  let 
us  be  persistent  in  our  search  for  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah. 
His  going  forth  is  sure  as  the  morning ;  better,  following  the  lead 
of  the  Greek,  we  shall  find  him  when  we  search  for  him;  it  is  an 
expression  of  the  shallow  assurance  of  Israel  that  Jehovah  is 
waiting  to  gratify  her  wishes.  The  rain;  the  heavy  winter 
rains.     Latter  rain ;   the  later  spring  rains. 

4.  O  Ephraim,  etc. ;  a  cry  of  despair ;  there  is  nothing  that 
Jehovah  can  do  that  will  avail ;  Ephraim  is  past  help.  O 
Judah;  the  Southern  Kingdom  comes  in  here  again,  as  else- 
where, for  a  share  of  the  prophet's  attention.  Many  would 
change  "  Judah  "  here  into  "  Israel  ";  but  this  is  unnecessary. 
For  your  goodness,  etc. ;  there  is  no  depth  to  the  piety  of  Israel ; 
her  penitence  is  too  superficial ;  it  has  no  abiding  value.  Hence, 
it  makes  no  appeal  to  Jehovah. 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


5.  Therefore  have  I  hewed  them  by  the  prophets ;  ^ 

I  have  slain  them  by  the  words  of  my  mouth : 
and  thy  judgements  ^  are  as  the  hght  that  goeth 
forth. 

6.  For  I  desire  goodness,^  and  not  sacrifice ; 

and    the    knowledge    of    God    more  than  burnt 
offerings. 

3.   IsraeVs  Guilty  6 :  7-1 1 

7.  But    they    like    Adam  ^     have    transgressed  ^    the 

covenant : ^ 
there  have  they  dealt  treacherously  against  me. 

1  Gr.  /  cut  of  your  prophets.  2  Gr.  and  Syr.  my  judgment.  ^  m.  kindness.  *  m. 
men.  ^  Gr.  who  transgresses.  •  m.  are  as  men  that  have  transgressed  a  covenant.  Syr. 
my  covenant. 

5.  Therefore    have    I   hewed    them    by    the    prophets;    the 

prophets  of  early  Israel  consistently  preached  punishment  and 
disaster  (cf.  Jer.  28  :  8) ;  through  their  work  Jehovah  was  hewing 
Israel  into  shape,  like  a  block  of  marble.  I  have  slain  them  by 
the  words  of  my  mouth ;  an  even  stronger  statement  of  the  same 
thought.  And  thy  judgements  are  as  the  light  that  goeth  forth ; 
the  change  of  person  is  so  abrupt  here  that  it  is  better  to  translate 
with  the  versions,  and  my  judgment  is  like  the  light,  -which  goes 
forth;  i.e.  both  clear  and  unfailing.  No  one  will  fail  to  see  the 
punishment  of  Jehovah,  the  coming  of  which  is  as  certain  as  the 
day. 

6.  The  mistake  of  Israel  was  in  thinking  that  Jehovah's 
primary  interest  was  in  sacrifice  and  ritual.  He  insists  rather 
upon  true  piety,  embracing  love  for  both  God  and  man.  The 
first  requisite  is  to  know  God  as  he  is. 

7.  But  they  like  Adam  have  transgressed  the  covenant; 
this  is  a  very  obscure  statement,  because  there  is  no  record  of  any 
"  covenant  "  with  Adam.  Nor  is  it  much  better  to  translate 
like  men,  with  the  margin;  for  a  statement  that  men  acted  "like 
men"  does  not  add  much  weight.  The  word  there  in  the  follow- 
ing sentence  seems  to  call  for  a  place-name  here.  The  nearest 
readings  are  in  Edom,  or  in  Syria  or  in  Admah.  But  nothing  is 
known  of  the  specific  occasion  to  which  reference  seems  to  be 

I  113 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


8.  Gilead  ^  is  a  city  of  them  that  work  iniquity, 

it  is  stained  with  blood. 

9.  And  as  troops  of  robbers  wait  for  a  man,^ 

so  the  company^   of  priests  murder  in  the  way 

toward  Shechem : 
yea  they  have  committed  lewdness. 

10.  In  the  house  of  Israel  I  have  seen  a  horrible  thing  ; 

there   whoredom  is  found  in    Ephraim,^  Israel  is 
defiled. 

11.  Also,  O    Judah,  there    is   a    harvest  appointed  for 

thee,^ 
when  I  bring  again  the  captivity  of  my  people. 

1  Gr.  there  did  Gilead  despise  me,  a  city  working  iniquity,  stirring  up  waters.  2  m, 
and  as  robbers  lying  in  wait,  so  etc.  Gr.  and  thy  strength  of  a  man  {who  is)  a  pirate. 
Syr.  and  thy  strength  like  that  of  a  man  of  bands.  Vg.  and  like  the  throat  of  robber  men. 
3  Gr.  they  hid.  Syr.  they  united.  *  Syr.  Ephraim  played  the  harlot.  *  Gr.  begin  to 
gather  fruit  for  thyself. 

made.  Have  they  dealt  treacherously  agamst  me,  i.e.  they  have 
been  disloyal  to  Jehovah  in  that  they  worshipped  other  gods ; 
or,  by  their  sinful  conduct,  they  have  brought  Jehovah  into  ill 
repute. 

8.  Gilead  is  a  city ;  everywhere  else  it  is  a  district ;  no  such 
city  is  known.  Nothing  is  known  that  warrants  the  charges  pre- 
ferred against  Gilead  here.  But  the  records  of  Israelitish  history 
are  far  from  complete. 

9.  A  very  obscure  verse,  the  precise  translation  and  signifi- 
cance of  which  are  wholly  uncertain.  Perhaps  we  should  render, 
and  like  bandits  lying  in  wait  is  the  gang  of  priests  by  the  way; 
they  murder  at  Shechem.  We  lack  the  intimate  knowledge  of  the' 
situation  necessary  to  make  this  intelligible.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  the  text  has  been  correctly  transmitted.  Lewdness  is 
here,  rather,  crime  in  general. 

10.  In  the  house  of  Israel ;  probably  to  be  corrected  to  in 
Bethel,  an  easy  change.  This  furnishes  the  antecedent  for  the 
following  there.  Whoredom  is  found  in  Ephraim ;  to  be  corrected 
to  thou  hast  played  the  harlot,  0  Ephraim;  i.e.  Israel  has  been 
untrue  to  Jehovah.  The  worship  of  the  calves  at  Bethel  and 
Dan  was  strongly  objected  to  by  Hosea. 

11.  Also,  O  Judah,  there  is  a  harvest  appointed  for  thee; 
the  punishment  availing  for  Israel  will  also  fall  upon  Judah.     This 

114 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA  7:3 


IX.  The  Deep-seated  Corruption  of  Israel,  7 : 1-7 

7.   When  I  would  heal  Israel,^ 

then  is   the  iniquity  of   Ephraim  uncovered,  and 
the  wickedness  of  Samaria ; 
For  they  commit  falsehood :  ^ 
and  the  thief  entereth  in,^ 
and  the  troop  of  robbers  ^  spoileth  ^  without. 

2.  And  they  consider  not  in  their  hearts^ 

that  I  remember  all  their  wickedness : 
Now  have  their  own  doings  beset  them  about ; 
they  are  before  my  face. 

3.  They  make  the  king^  glad  with  their  wickedness, 

and  the  princes  with  their  lies.^ 


1  Gr.  joins  this  phrase  with  6 :  ii.         2  gyr.  adds  before  me.  ^  Gr.  adds  to  him, 

which  seems  to  be  an  error  for  to  the  house.  *  Gr.  the  robber.  ^  m.  maketh  a  raid. 
6  Gr.  joins  with  vs.  2  and  renders,  in  order  that  they  may  sing  with,  like  those  singing 
■with  their  heart.  ">  Gr.,  Syr.  Kings.  »  Syr.  kings  glad  with  their  wickedness  and  their 
lies;  their  princes  are  all  adulterers. 


is  probably  a  note  added  by  a  late  editor  who  realized  that  the 
sins  for  which  Samaria  fell  were  found  also  in  Judah  and 
merited  a  like  punishment.  When  I  bring  again  the  captivity 
of  my  people ;  if  this  be  the  right  rendering,  the  Exile  is  presup- 
posed as  an  existing  fact  and  the  line  must  be  thought  of  as  of 
exilic  or  post-exilic  origin.  It  may  be  rendered  when  I  would 
change  the  fortune  of  my  people,  in  which  case  it  might  belong  to 
Hosea,  but  would  have  to  be  joined  to  7  :  i  rather  than  6:  11. 

1.  Jehovah's  desire  to  forgive  and  bless  Israel  is  frustrated 
by  her  wickedness,  which  ever  thrusts  itself  upon  his  attention. 
Falsehood  is  fraud  and  corruption  of  many  kinds.  Burglary  and 
highway  robbery  are  common  occurrences. 

2.  Israel  cannot  escape  the  result  of  its  ill  doing,  for  it  is 
never  out  of  Jehovah's  sight. 

3.  They  make  the  king  glad,  etc. ;  the  rulers  are  delighted 
with  the  results  that  accrue  to  them  through  the  craft  and  tyr- 
anny of  their  subordinates.  There  may  be  allusion  here  to  some 
special  occasion  of  drunkenness  and  debauchery,  which  is  further 
described  in  vs.  4. 

IIS 


T5E   BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


4.  They  are  all  adulterers : 

they  are  as  an  oven  heated  by  the  baker ;  ^ 
He  ceaseth  ^  to  stir  the  jire^ 

from  the    kneading    of     the    dough    until    it    be 
leavened.^ 

5.  On   the   day  of  our  king  the  princes  made   them- 

selves^ sick  with  the  heat®  of  wine : 
he  stretched  out  his  hand  ^  with  scorners. 

6.  For   they   have  made    ready  ^    their   heart  like   an 

oven,  whiles  they  lie  in  wait :  ^ 
their  baker  ^^  sleepeth  all  the  night ; 
In  the  morning  it  burneth  ^^  as  a  flaming  fire. 

1  Gr.  oven  horning  for  cooking.  2  Qr.  of  burning.  ^  Gr.  from  the  flame.     Syr. 

from  the  city.  Vg.  the  state  ceases  gradually.  *  Vg.  from  the  mixing  of  the  ferment  until 
it  he  all  fermented.  Syr.  one  kneading  dough  until  it  be  leavened.  ^  m.  him.  ^  Gr. 
the  days  of  our  kings  the  rulers  began  to  be  heated;  similarly  Syr.  and  Vg.  '  Syr.  they 
stretched  out  their  hands.  ^m.,  Heb.  brought  near.  Vg.  they  have  applied.  Gt.  their 
hearts  burned.  *  Gr.  in  breaking  them  in  pieces,  which  is  joined  with  the  following 
phrase.  Vg.  when  he  shall  lie  in  wait  for  them,  i"  Syr.  and  Tg.  their  anger.  Gr. 
Ephraim.      "  Gr.  early  it  came  to  pass,  it  burned. 

4.  They  are  all  adulterers,  viz.  king,  princes,  and  people. 
They  are  as  an  oven,  etc. ;  better,  they  are  like  a  burning  oven 
whose  baker  ceased  to  stir  up  the  flame  from  the  kneading  of  the 
dough  until  its  leavening.  This  is  a  characterization  of  the  fires  of 
passion,  the  precise  point  of  which  it  is  not  possible  to  state  posi- 
tively. 

5.  On  the  day  of  our  king;  some  special  festive  occasion, 
which  cannot  be  definitely  placed  now,  though  doubtless  well 
known  to  the  prophet's  hearers.  The  princes  made  themselves 
sick  with  the  heat  of  wine ;  the  marginal  rendering  made  him 
sick  is  attractive ;  reference  is  perhaps  made  to  the  murder  of 
King  Zechariah,  in  the  midst  of  a  drunken  carousal.  He  stretched 
out  his  hand;    the  exact  meaning  of  these  words  is  unknown. 

6.  For  they  have  made  ready  their  heart ;  this  translation  is 
out  of  the  question ;  nor  is  the  Hebrew  susceptible  of  a  rendering 
that  yields  good  sense.  It  is  better  to  follow  the  Greek  and  read 
their  hearts  burn.  Whiles  they  lie  in  wait;  better,  with  their 
plotting.  Their  baker;  this  yields  no  satisfactory  meaning; 
hence  we  must  read,  with  the  Syriac  and  Targum,  their  anger. 
Their  wrath  and  treachery  smoulder  all  night  long  to  burst  forth 
into  flames  in  the  morning. 

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THE   BOOK   OF  HOSEA 


They  are  all  hot  as  an  oven, 

and  devour  their  judges ; 
All  their  kings  are  fallen  : 

there  is  none  among  them  that  calleth  unto  me. 

X.  Israel's  Disloyalty  to  Jehovah,  7 :  8-16 

Ephraim,  he  mixeth  himself  among  the  ^  peoples ; 

Ephraim  is  a  cake  ^  not  turned. 
Strangers    have    devoured    his    strength,    and    he 
knoweth  it  not : 
yea,  gray  hairs  are  here  and  there  ^  upon  him,  and  he 
knoweth  it  not. 


1  Gr.  his.        *  Gr.  and  Vg.  a  loaf  baked  in  the  ashes.       ^  Heb.  sprinkled.     Gr.  have 
blossomed  forth.    Vg.  are  poured  forth.    Syr.  are  come  forth. 


7.  A  figurative  characterization  of  the  spirit  of  the  times. 
Following  Jeroboam,  six  kings  reigned  within  approximately 
twenty  years,  some  of  them  but  a  few  months,  and  four  of  them 
were  slain  as  a  result  of  conspiracy  and  revolt.  There  is  none 
among  them,  etc. ;  none  know  how  to  reach  the  heart  of  Jehovah. 
They  are,  in  the  prophet's  judgment,  wilfully  blind  to  the  things 
that  make  for  purity  and  justice. 

8.  Ephraim,  he  mixeth  himself,  i.e.  he  associates  with  and 
seeks  help  from  foreign  peoples,  a  procedure  that  can  only 
bring  irretrievable  ruin.  A  cake  not  turned,  i.e.  burned  on  the 
side  next  the  fire,  but  dough  on  the  other  side.  There  is  no  con- 
sistency of  character  in  the  life  of  Israel.  No  deep-seated  prin- 
ciples control  the  national  policies,  but  a  facile  opportunism 
which  is  ready  to  turn  in  a  new  direction  at  a  moment's  notice. 

9.  Strangers,  i.e.  the  foreign  nations  upon  whom  Israel  has 
depended.  They  have  grown  strong  at  the  expense  of  Israel. 
His  strength;  his  resources  of  every  kind.  He  knoweth  it 
not;  he  is  unconscious  of  the  steady  drain  which  is  sapping  his 
vitality.  The  personification  of  Israel  as  a  man  growing  weaker 
and  weaker  is  now  carried  one  step  further.  Gray  hairs ;  he 
has  already  begun  to  manifest  evidences  of  the  weakness  of  old 
age.     Are  here  and  there ;  better,  are  sprinkled,  as  in  the  Hebrew. 

117 


7^10 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


10.  And  the  pride  ^  of  Israel  doth  testify  ^  to  his  face  : 

yet  they  have  not  returned  unto  the   Lord   their 
God,  nor  sought  him,  for  all  this.^ 

11.  And  Ephraim  is  like  a  silly  dove,  without   under- 

standing :  ^ 
they  call  ^  unto  Egypt,  they  go  to  Assyria. 

12.  When   they   shall   go,  I  will   spread   my   net  upon 

them; 
I  will  bring  them  down  as  the  fowls  of  the  heaven : 
I  will  chastise  them,  as  their   congregation  hath 

heard.® 

13.  Woe  unto  them  !  for  they  have  wandered  from  me ; 

destruction  ^  unto  them  !  for  they  have  trespassed 
against  me : 
Though  I  would  redeem  them, 

yet  they  have  spoken  lies  against  me. 

1  m.  excellency.  2  Gr.,  Syr.,  and  Vg.  shall  be  humbled.  '  Gr.  and  Vg.  in  all  these. 
Syr.  omits  the  phrase.  ■*  Heb.  heart.  *  Syr.  they  covie.  *  m.  when  the  report  cometh 
to  their  congregation.  Gr.  in  the  report  of  their  tribulation.  Syr.  according  to  the  report 
of  their  testimony.      ''  Gr.  miserable  are  they. 

10.  The  pride  of  Israel;  the  arrogance  which  has  kept  Israel 
from  acknowledging  its  error  and  turning  to  Jehovah.  Doth 
testify  to  his  face ;  the  course  of  events  is  making  the  folly  of 
Israel's  policy  clear  to  every  one.  The  present  helpless  state  of 
the  nation  is  convincing  evidence.  Yet  they  have  not  returned 
unto  the  Lord,  etc. ;  the  crowning  proof  of  their  obstinac}^  and 
folly. 

11.  The  dove  was  celebrated  in  antiquity  for  its  simple  and 
unsuspecting  nature.  So  Ephraim  flits  back  and  forth  between 
Egypt  and  Assyria,  blind  to  the  dangers  that  threaten  from  both 
alike. 

12.  I  will  spread  my  net;  the  figure  of  the  dove  continues. 
Israel  is  to  be  caught  in  the  snare  of  Jehovah,  who  will  thus  show 
the  nation  its  powerlessness.  As  their  congregation  hath  heard ; 
these  words  are  meaningless  ;  nor  is  any  one  of  the  corrections  that 
have  been  proposed  for  the  present  Hebrew  text  at  all  satisfactory. 

13.  Wandered  from  me,  viz.  to  find  aid  in  Egypt  or  Assyria. 
Trespassed,  or  rebelled.     Though  I  would  redeem  them,  yet,  etc. ; 

118 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA  .7:16 


14.  And  they  have  not  cried  unto  me  with  their  heart ,^ 

but  they  howl  upon  their  beds  : 
They  assemble  themselves  ^.  for  corn  and  wine, 
they  rebel  ^  against  me. 

15.  Though    I    have    taught^    and    strengthened    their 

arms, 
yet  do  they  imagine  mischief  against  me. 

16.  They  return,  but  not  to  him  that  is  on  high ;  ^ 

they  are  like  a  deceitful  ^  bow : 
Their  princes  shall  fall  by  the  sword  for  the  rage  ^ 
of  their  tongue : 
this  shall  be  their  derision  ^  in  the  land  of  Eg3^t. 

'  Gr.  their  hearts  have  not  cried  to  me.  Syr.  with  all  their  heart.  2  Gr.  they  cut  them- 
selves. Vg.  they  were  ruminating.  Syr.  they  were  striving.  ^  Syr.  and  they  rebel.  Gr. 
they  were  trained.  *  m.  chastened  them.  Gr.  omits.  5  Qr.  and  Syr.  return  unto 
nothing.  Vg.  turn  in  order  that  they  might  be  without  a  yoke.  ^  Gr.  a  strung.  '  Gr. 
coarseness.      ^  Gr.  depreciation.    Tg.  works.     Syr.  entanglement. 

better,  and  shall  I  redeem  them,  when  they  etc.  ?  It  is  unreasonable 
to  expect  help  from  Jehovah  when  all  that  they  do  and  say  shows 
misrepresentation  and  wrong  conception  of  Jehovah. 

14.  Not  cried  unto  me  with  their  heart;  their  appeals  to 
Jehovah  have  been  only  half-hearted  and  insincere.  Upon  their 
beds ;  a  slight  change  of  text  yields  the  more  appropriate  sense, 
heside  their  altars.  They  assemble  themselves ;  better,  with  the 
Greek,  they  cut  themselves,  i.e.  in  their  eagerness  for  corn  and  wine, 
they  inflict  wounds  upon  themselves  in  the  hope  that  the  blood 
running  down  from  their  bodies  upon  the  altar  will  constitute  an 
irresistible  appeal  to  Jehovah,  leading  him  to  grant  what  they 
desire;  cf.  i  Kings  17:27,  28.  They  rebel  against  me ;  not- 
withstanding all  their  zeal  in  sacrifices  and  offerings,  they  stub- 
bornly refuse  to  listen  to  the  words  of  Jehovah  through  his  prophets. 

15.  Though  I  have  taught  {i.e.  trained)  and  strengthened 
their  arms ;  Jehovah  has  exercised  a  parent's  watchcare  over 
Israel,  but  to  no  purpose  so  far  as  securing  filial  affection  and 
obedience  are  concerned. 

16.  They  return,  but  not  to  him  that  is  on  high ;  this  is  a  most 
unlikely  rendering  of  the  Hebrew  text.  The  best  rendering  is 
they  turn,  not  upwards;  but  even  this  is  unlikely  and  yields 
unsatisfactory  sense.  Perhaps,  we  should  correct  the  text  so  as 
to  read,  they  turn  to  the  Baalim.     Like  a  deceitful  bow;   one  that 

119 


8: 1  THE   BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


XI.  Israel's  Rulers,  Gods,  and  Policies  are  Hostile 
TO  Jehovah,  8 : 1-14 

I.   IsraeVs  Punishment  is  Close  at  Hand,  8: 1-3 

8.   Set  the  trumpet  to  thy  mouth. ^ 

As  an  eagle  he  cometh  against  the  house  of   the 
Lord: 2 
Because  they  have  transgressed  my  covenant, 
and  trespassed  against  my  law. 
2.   They  shall  cry  unto  me,^ 

my  God,^  we  Israel  ^  know  thee. 

^  Syr.  thy  mouth  is  like  a  trumpet.      Gr.  into  their  bosom  like  earth.  ?  m.  The 

trumpet  to  thy  mouth!  As  an  eagle  against  the  house  of  the  Lord  I  ^  Syr.  adds,  and 
say.     *  Syr.  our  God.     Gr.  Cod.      s  Gr.  and  Syr.  omit. 

cannot  be  depended  upon  to  send  the  arrow  to  its  mark.  Their 
princes,  the  leaders  in  Israel's  rebellious  policies,  shall  fall  by  the 
sword,  viz.  that  of  the  Assyrian  army  in  all  probability,  for  the 
rage,  or  insolence,  of  their  tongue,  in  that  they  have  spoken 
against  the  polic}^  of  trusting  only  in  Jehovah  and  have  sought 
help  in  foreign  lands.  This  shall  be  their  derision  in  the  land  of 
Egypt;  while  they  depend  upon  Egypt  for  aid  and  deliverance 
from  all  danger,  disaster  will  befall  them  and  Egypt  will  accord 
them  only  contempt. 

1.  Set  the  trumpet,  etc.;  the  margin's  rendering  exactly 
represents  the  Hebrew  text.  Apparently  it  is  a  call  to  arms  or  to 
flight,  because  of  the  immediate  approach  of  the  enemy.  Eagle 
is  rather,  vulture,  swooping  down  upon  Israel  as  his  prey.  House 
of  the  Lord,  i.e.  not  the  temple,  but  the  land  of  Israel;  cf.  9 :  15 
and  the  regular  Assyrian  title  for  the  land  of  Israel,  viz.  house  of 
Omri.  Transgressed  my  covenant,  and  trespassed  against  my 
law ;  reference  is  made  to  the  covenant  at  Sinai  between  Israel 
and  Jehovah  and  to  such  laws  as  are  contained  in  the  Covenant 
Code  (Ex.  20 :  23-23  :  33)  and  are  reflected  in  the  teachings  of  the 
prophets. 

2.  They  shall  cry,  in  the  coming  day  of  disaster.  Unto  me; 
not  to  the  Baalim,  whose  aid  will  then  be  recognized  as  of  no 
avail.  My  God,  we  Israel  know  thee ;  they  will  then  urge  an 
intimate  acquaintance  and  fellowship  with  Jehovah  as  ground 
for  his  intervention  in  their  behalf. 


THE   BOOK  OF  HOSEA  8:5 

3.  Israel  ^  hath  cast  off  that  which  is  good : 

the  enemy  shall  pursue  him.^ 

2.   The  Rulers  and  the  Golden  Calves  are  doomed  to  De- 
struction, 8 : 4-6 

4.  They  have  set  up  kings,  but  not  by  me ; 

they  have  made  princes,^  and  I  knew  it  not :  ^ 
Of  their  silver  and  their  gold  have  they  made  them 
idols/ 
that  they  may  be  cut  off. 

5.  He  hath  cast  off  thy  calf,  O  Samaria ; 

mine  anger  is  kindled  against  them : 
How  long  will  it  be  ere  they  attain  to  innocency  ?  ^ 

1  Gr.  Because  Israel.  *  Gr.  they  pursued  an  enemy.  »  m.  they  have  removed  them. 
Gr.  they  ruled.  ^  Gr.  and  they  did  not  know  me.  ^  Gr.  Get  rid  of.  Vg.  thy  calf  is  cast 
forth.  Syr.  they  have  loathed.  ^  Gr.  until  when  will  they  he  unable  to  be  cleansed  in 
Israel?     Similarly  Vg.  and  Syr. 

3.  Israel  hath  cast  off,  etc. ;  Israel's  past  conduct  belies  his 
present  words.  He  has  steadfastly  rejected  everything  making 
for  better  and  higher  life.  Therefore,  the  enemy  shall  pursue 
him;  Jehovah  will  use  the  army  of  the  foreigner  to  execute  his 
will  regarding  Israel. 

4.  Set  up  kings,  but  not  by  me ;  reference  is  probably  made 
to  the  series  of  revolts,  conspiracies  and  usurpations  of  the  throne 
that  set  in  upon  the  death  of  Jeroboam  II,  upon  none  of  which 
did  the  approval  of  Jehovah  rest,  according  to  Hosea.  I  knew 
it  not;  better,  /  knew  them  not;  i.e.  I  did  not  indorse  them. 
Idols ;  probably  the  golden  calves  of  Bethel  and  Dan  are  here 
denounced.  These  were  images  of  Jehovah,  and  Hosea  is  the  first 
prophet  to  protest  against  the  making  of  such  images.  That  they 
may  be  cut  off,  i.e.  with  the  result  that  they  will  be  cut  off;  a 
case  of  result  conceived  of  as  purpose,  a  common  Hebrew  usage. 

5.  He  hath  cast  off  thy  calf;  this  use  of  the  third  person  is 
difficult,  being  preceded  and  followed  by  the  first  person.  We 
should  probably  make  a  slight  correction  to  the  first  person,  and 
translate  /  ahhor  thy  calf.  O  Samaria ;  probably,  the  name  here 
denotes  the  country  at  large,  though  calves  may  have  been  in- 
stalled in  Samaria  and  other  towns,  besides  Bethel  and  Dan. 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


6.  For  from  Israel  is  even  ^  this ; 

The  workman  made  it,  and  it  is  no  God : 

yea,  the  calf  of  Samaria  shall  be  broken  in  pieces. ^ 

3.   Israel's  Foreign  Policy  is  Ruinous,  8 :  7-10 

7.  For  they  sow  the  wind, 

and  they  shall  reap  the  whirlwind :  ^ 
He  hath  no  standing  corn ; 

the  blade  shall  yield  no  meal ;  ^ 
If  so  be  it  yield, 

strangers  shall  swallow  it  up. 

8.  Israel  is  swallowed  up : 

now  are  they  among  the  nations  as  a  vessel  wherein 
is  no  pleasure.^ 

1  Syr.  omits.  2  Qr,  because  wandering  was  thy  calf,  0  Samaria.  Vg.  shall  be  in 
spiders'  webs.  Syr.  is  not  thy  calf  for  error,  0  Samaria?  ^  Gr.  their  end  will  receive 
them.  *  m.  it  hath  no  stalk;  the  blade,  etc.  Gr.  a  sheaf  did  not  have  strength  to  yield 
fine  meal.    *  Gr.  useless.    Vg.  unclean. 

How  long  will  it  be  ere  they  attain  to  innocency?     Better,  for 

how  long?      They  cannot  remain  unpunished. 

6.  A  denunciation  of  the  calves  as  of  wholly  human  and  arti- 
ficial origin,  hence  not  to  be  credited  with  divine  power.  Indeed, 
their  powerlessness  will  be  shown  by  their  total  destruction ;  they 
will  be  shattered  to  fragments. 

7.  Wind  is  nothingness  and  emptiness  as  found  in  Israel's 
policies.  Whirlwind  is  the  destruction  that  such  futile  policies 
involve.  He  hath  no  standing  com ;  the  blade  shall  yield  no 
meal ;  better  translated,  a  stalk  which  has  no  growth,  which  yields 
no  meal.  The  figure  is  now  changed  from  Israel  as  the  sower  to 
Israel  as  that  which  is  sown.  The  nation  is  a  blasted  plant,  which 
can  produce  nothing.  If  by  any  chance  it  should  yield,  strangers 
shall  swallow  it  up.  The  resources  of  Israel  are  sure  to  be  de- 
voured by  foreign  powers. 

8.  Israel  is  swallowed  up,  etc. ;  the  process  has  already  begun ; 
Israel  is  even  now  losing  its  identity  through  absorption  by  the 
nations.  She  has  ceased  to  be  a  force  to  be  reckoned  with  in  the 
politics  of  Western  Asia. 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


9.   For  they  are  gone  up  to  Assyria, 
like  a  wild  ass  alone  by  himself :  ^ 
Ephraim  hath  hired  lovers.^ 
20.       Yea,  though^  they  hire"^  among  the  nations, 
Now  ^  will  I  gather  them ; 

and  they  begin  ^  to  be  minished^  by  reason  of  the 
burden^  of  the  king  of  princes.^ 

4.   IsraeVs  Worship  is  Unacceptable  to  Jehovah,  8: 11-14 

II.   Because  Ephraim  hath  multiplied  altars  to  sin, 
altars  have  been  unto  him  to  sin.^^ 

1  Gr.  Ephraim  has  blossomed  according  to  itself.  2  Gr.  they  have  loved  gifts.  Vg. 
they  have  given  rewards  to  their  lovers.  Syr.  loves  a  gift.  ^  Gr.  because  of  this.  ■*  Gr. 
and  Syr.  they  be  delivered  over.  ^  Syr.  omits.  ^  Gr.  they  shall  cease.  Vg.  and  Syr. 
they  shall  rest.  '  m.  they  shall  sorrow  a  little,  or  for  a  little  while;  Heb.  a  little. 
8  Gr.  from  anointing.  ^  Gr.,  Syr.,  Vg.,  and  Tg.,  king  and  princes,  i"  Gr.  hath  multi- 
plied altars,  for  sins  have  the  beloved  altars  been  to  him.     Syr.  unto  him  for  great  sin. 

9.  Are  gone  up  to  Assyria,  i.e.  for  help.  Like  a  wild  ass 
alone  by  himself ;  these  animals  usually  went  in  droves ;  thus 
Israel's  conduct  is  unusual.  It  may  be  that  reference  is  made  to 
Israel's  having  refused  to  cooperate  with  other  peoples  in  resisting 
invasion  and  having  been  the  only  one  to  have  recourse  to  Assyria. 
Or  more  probably,  the  reference  is  to  a  wild  ass  wandering  in 
search  of  a  mate,  as  appears  from  the  following  phrase.  Ephraim 
hath  hired  lovers;  the  figure  of  an  unfaithful  wife  is  taken  up 
again  here  as  in  chaps  1-3.  Ephraim  has  been  untrue  to  Jehovah 
in  seeking  love  among  the  peoples  of  foreign  gods.  It  is  tempting 
to  suppose  an  easy  error  in  the  text  here  and  to  read  instead  of  it, 
a  phrase  parallel  to  the  preceding  mention  of  Assyria,  viz.  to 
Egypt  they  give  love-gifts. 

ID.  Though  they  hire  among  the  nations,  now  will  I  gather 
them ;  Israel  wandering  among  the  nations  in  search  of  support 
will  be  brought  back  by  Jehovah,  but  only  that  he  may  send  her 
into  exile.  And  they  begin  to  be  minished,  etc. ;  better,  following 
the  Greek,  and  they  shall  cease  for  a  little  from  anointing  kings 
and  princes,  i.e.  into  exile  they  are  to  go  where  there  will  be  no 
occasion  for  changes  of  dynasty. 

II.  Another  phase  of  Israel's  guilt  now  is  taken  up.  We  must 
translate,  with  the  Greek,  because  Ephraim  has  multiplied  altars, 
altars  have  becojne  sin  for  him;  i.e.  Israel  has  put  its  confidence  in 

123 


12  THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


12.  Though  1 1  write  for  him  my  law  in  ten  thousand 

precepts;  ^ 
they  ^  are  counted  as  a  strange  thing.* 

13.  As  for  the  sacrifices  of  mine  offerings,^  they  sacri- 

fice flesh  and  eat  it ; 
but  ^  the  Lord  accepteth  them  not : 
Now    will    he   remember   their   iniquity,  and    visit 

their  sins ; 
they  shall  return  to  Egypt. ^ 


*  Syr.  and  I.  2  Qj-.  /  ^//  ii;rite  down  for  him  an  abundance,  and  my  laws  were  etc. 
Vg.  my  multifold  laws.  3  m.  /  wrote  for  him  the  ten  thousand  things  of  my  law,  but 
they  etc.  *_Syr.  he  reckoned  them  as  foreign,  my  words.  ^  Gr.  the  beloved  altars,  which 
is  joined  with  vs.  12.    Vg.  they  ofer  sacrifices.    Syr.  my  choice  sacrifices.  ^  Gr.  be- 

cause if  they  sacrifice  a  sacrifice  and  eat  flesh,  the  Lord,  etc.     ^  Gr.  adds,  and  eat  unclean 
things  among  the  Assyrians. 


the  effectiveness  and  validity  of  its  ritualistic  worship  and  has 
neglected  the  weightier  matters  of  the  law;  hence  the  worship 
itself  is  a  sin. 

12.  Though  I  write  for  him  my  law  in  ten  thousand  precepts ; 
better  rendered,  though  I  should  write  for  him  myriads  of  my  laws. 
Perhaps  there  is  reference  here  to  the  tradition  that  Jehovah  him- 
self wrote  the  decalogue.  In  any  case,  the  thought  is  that  even 
if  Israel  possessed  innumerable  laws  written  by  Jehovah  himself, 
they  would  he  reckoned  as  those  of  a  foreigner,  a  better  rendering 
than  that  of  the  text.  Israel  would  ignore  them  just  as  the  real 
significance  of  Jehovah's  existing  laws  is  lost  sight  of. 

13.  As  for  the  sacrifices  of  mine  ofiferings,  they  sacrifice 
flesh  and  eat  it;  these  words  are  very  difficult  and  obscure. 
Perhaps  the  original  text  read,  they  love  sacrifices  and  they  sacrifice 
flesh  and  eat.  The  point  of  such  a  charge  is  that  in  the  observance 
of  the  sacrificial  ritual,  the  Israelites  are  ministering  to  the  satis- 
faction of  their  own  appetites  rather  than  to  the  honor  of  Jehovah. 
Therefore,  the  Lord  accepteth  them  not.  On  the  contrary,  their 
sin  calls  insistently  for  punishment.  Hence,  they  shall  return  to 
Egypt"  Hosea  means  either  that  Israel  will  again  go  into  captiv- 
ity as  she  once  was  in  Egypt,  or  that  she  will  again  go  to  Egypt 
itself  as  captive.  The  earlier  prophets  of  the  eighth  century  B.C. 
were  not  apparently  quite  certain  as  to  Israel's  fate,  whether  it 
was  to  be  brought  about  by  Assyria  or  by  Egypt ;  cf .  9 :  3 ;  Isa. 
7:18. 

124 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


14.   For  Israel  hath  forgotten  his  Maker,  and  builded 
palaces ;  ^ 
and  Judah  hath  multiplied  fenced  cities : 
But  I  will  send  a  fire  upon  his  cities, 
and  it  shall  devour  the  castles  ^  thereof. 


XII.  Israel  deserting  Jehovah  and  deserted  by 
Jehovah,  9: 1-17 

I.   IsraeVs  Unfaithfulness  to  he  punished  by  Exile,  9 : 1-9 

9.   Rejoice  not,  O  Israel,  for  joy,^  like  the  peoples ; 
for  ^  thou  hast  gone  a  whoring  from  thy  God, 
Thou  hast  loved  hire  upon  ^  every  cornfloor.^ 
2.   The  threshing-floor  and  the  winepress  shall  not  feed^ 
them, 
and  the  new  wine  shall  fail  her.^ 


1  m.  temples.     Gr.  groves.  ^  m.  palaces.     Gr.  their  foundations.  ^m.  unto 

exultation.    Gr.  do  not  exult;  simi\a.Tly  Yg.,  Syr.  and  Tg.        ^m.that.        ^  Syr.  from. 
6  Syr.  omits  corn.      ">  Gr.  know.    Syr.  satisfy.      s  Gr_^  gyj-,^  Vg.  and  Tg.  them. 

14.  This  verse  describes  the  sin  of  Israel  as  a  failure  to  depend 
wholly  upon  Jehovah  for  support,  which  is  manifested  in  the 
policy  of  multiplying  fortifications  as  the  nations  around  her  have 
done.  The  latter  half  of  the  verse  is  evidently  borrowed  from 
Am.  I  :  4-2  :  5,  where  it  occurs  as  the  repeated  refrain.  It  is  not 
unlikely  that  the  whole  of  vs.  14  is  a  note  added  by  an  editor. 

1.  Rejoice  not,  O  Israel,  for  joy,  like  the  peoples;  better, 
with  a  slight  change  of  text,  rejoice  not,  0  Israel;  exult  not,  like, 
etc.  Probably  these  words  were  spoken  in  connection  with  some 
festal  ceremony,  such  as  the  Harvest  Feast.  Israel,  having  for- 
saken its  God,  has  even  less  ground  for  rejoicing  than  the  nations, 
for  they  are  true  to  their  own  gods,  at  least.  Thou  hast  loved 
hire  upon  every  cornfloor;  the  products  of  the  soil  have  been 
accepted  as  gifts  from  the  Baalim  whom  they  worship. 

2.  But  Jehovah,  the  real  giver  of  these  blessings,  will  withhold 
them  henceforth ;    cf .  2  :  8,  9. 

125 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


They  shall  not  dwell  ^  in  the  Lord's  land ; 

but  Ephraim  shall  return  ^  to  Egypt, 

and  they  shall  eat  unclean  food  in  Assyria. 
They  shall  not  pour  out  wine  offerings  to  the  Lord, 

neither  shall  they  be  pleasing  unto  him : 
Their  sacrifices  shall  be  unto  them  as  the  bread  ^  of 
mourners ;  ^ 

all  that  eat  thereof  shall  be  polluted : 
For  their  bread  shall  be  for  their  appetite ; 

it  shall  not  come  into  the  house  of  the  Lord. 
What  -will  ye  do  in  the  day  ^  of  solemn  assembly, 

and  in  the  day  of  the  feast  of  the  Lord  ? 


^  Gr.  did  not  dwell.        ^  Gr.  dwelt.        '  m.  neither  shall  their  sacrifices  be  pleasing 
unto  him;  their  bread  shall  be  unto  them  as  the  bread.      *  Syr.  of  affliction.      *  Gr.  days. 


3.  Ephraim  shall  return  to  Egypt;'  cf.  8  :  13.  And  they  shall 
eat  unclean  food  in  Assyria ;  food  not  prepared  in  accordance  with 
Hebrew  dietary  laws  and  the  product  of  a  land  acknowledging 
the  sway  of  other  gods  than  Jehovah,  and  consequently  itself 
unclean. 

4.  They  shall  not  pour  out  wine  offerings  to  the  Lord ;  either 
because  there  will  be  no  wine  to  pour  out,  or  because  in  the  land 
of  the  conqueror  the  pouring  of  libations  to  Jehovah  will  be  pro- 
hibited. For  wine-drinking  in  connection  with  worship,  cf. 
I  Sam.  1 :  24;  10  :  3  ;  Am.  2  :  8.  Neither  shall  they  be  pleasing 
unto  him,  etc. ;  by  a  different  grouping  of  the  words  and  a  couple 
of  slight  changes  in  the  text,  we  secure  the  better  reading,  neither 
will  they  arrange  sacrifices  for  him;  their  bread  will  he  like  the 
bread  of  mourning.  Drink  offerings  and  food  offerings  to  Jeho- 
vah will  be  alike  discontinued.  Their  food  will  all  be  unclean 
(cf.  Jer.  16:7;  Deut.  26  :  14)  and  will  render  unclean  all  who  eat 
of  it.  Their  bread  shall  be  for  their  appetite;  it  shall  not 
come  into  the  bouse  of  the  Lord;  eating,  which  normally  always 
had  religious  significance,  will  now  lose  all  of  this  and  become 
a  mere  process  of  satisfying  the  cravings  of  the  physical  nature. 

5.  What  will  ye  do,  etc. ;  the  celebration  of  the  great  festal 
days  will  be  impossible  in  a  land  that  is  not  Jehovah's.  The  great 
joyous  occasions  will  all  cease,  becoming  nothing  but  a  sad  mem- 
ory of  better  times. 

126 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


6.  For,  lo,  they  are  gone  away  from^  destruction, 

yet  Egypt   shall   gather   them  up,  Memphis  shall 
bury  them : 
Their  pleasant  things  ^  of  silver,  nettles  ^  shall  pos- 
sess them :  ^ 
thorns  shall  be  in  their  tents. 

7.  The  days  of  visitation  are  come, 

the  days  of  recompence  are  come ; 
Israel  shall  know  it :  ^ 
The  prophet  is  a  fool,  the  man  that  hath  the  spirit 

is  mad, 
for  the  multitude  of   thine  iniquity,  and  because 

the  enmity  is  great.  ^ 

1  Syr.  gone  into.  2  Gr.  Michmash.  ^  Gr.  destruction.  Syr.  the  foreigner.  *  Gr.  it. 
5  Gr.  shaU  be  ill-treated.  ^  Gr.  hy  reason  of  the  multitude  of  thy  sins  thy  madness  is  ful- 
filled. Syr.  on  account  of  the  multitude  of  thy  wickedness,  thy  wantonness  is  increased. 
Vg.for  the  multitude  of  thine  iniquity  and  the  multitude  of  folly. 

6.  For,  lo,  they  are  gone  away  from  destruction ;  this  seems  to 
say  exactly  the  opposite  of  the  facts  in  the  case.  It  is  much 
better  to  suppose  d,  slight  error  in  the  text  and  correct  to  they 
shall  go  to  Assyria,  which  is  balanced  by  Egypt  shall  gather 
them  up,  just  as  in  9  :  3  ;  cf.  7  :  16  and  8  :  13.  Memphis  shall 
bury  them ;  Memphis  is  mentioned  as  one  of  the  most  important 
cities  of  Egypt  and  as  the  site  of  extensive  burial-grounds.  The 
sojourn  in  Eg3'-pt  will  not  be  of  short  duration,  but  for  life.  Their 
pleasant  things,  etc. ;  the  scenes  of  their  former  wealth  and  splen- 
dor will    be  given  up  to  desolation  and  ruin. 

7.  The  days  of  visitation  are  come,  the  days  of  recompence 
are  come ;  the  prophet  is  certain  of  the  truth  of  his  message ; 
Israel's  past  sins  are  now  to  receive  their  full  measure  of  punish- 
ment. Israel  shall  know  it ;  she  will  at  last  realize  the  meaning 
of  the  harsh  experiences  through  which  she  has  to  pass.  The 
prophet  is  a  fool ;  the  man  that  hath  the  spirit  is  mad ;  this  is 
best  considered  as  a  remark  or  opinion  of  the  people  regarding 
Hosea  and  prophets  of  his  point  of  view.  To  this  Hosea  makes 
answer,  admitting  that  appearances  are  against  him,  but  laying 
the  responsibility  for  the  character  of  his  utterances  upon  the 
people  themselves ;  for  the  multitude  of  thine  iniquity  and  be- 
cause the  enmity  is  great.  This  is  enough  to  distract  any  good 
man,  let  alone  a  prophet. 

127 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


8.  Ephraim  was  a  watchman  with^  my  ^  God : 

as  for  the  prophet,  a  fowler's  snare  is  in  all  his 

ways, 
and  enmity  in  the  house  of  his  God. 

9.  They  have  deeply  corrupted  themselves,^  as  in  the 

days  of  Gibeah :  ^ 
he  will  remember  their  iniquity,  he  will  visit  their 
sins. 

2.    The  Exceeding  Sinfulness  and  Utter  Rejection  of  Israel, 
9: 10-17 

10.   I  found  Israel  like  grapes  in  the  wilderness ; 

I   saw  your^  fathers  as   the  firstripe®  in   the  fig 
tree  at  her  first  season  :  ^ 

1  m.  watcheth  against.  ^  Gr.  omits  my.  '  Gr.  connecting  with  vs.  8,  they  planted 
folly  firmly  in  the  house  of  God,  they  perished,  etc.  *  Gr.  and  Syr.  of  the  hill.  ^  Gr., 
Syr.  and  Vg.  i/zez>.      ^  Gr.  a  watchman.      '' Syr.  omits,  at  her  first  season. 

8.  Ephraim  was  a  watchman  with  my  God ;  as  for  the  prophet, 

etc. ;  this  verse  is  one  of  the  most  obscure  in  the  book  of  Hosea. 
We  might  render,  Ephraim' s  watchman  with  my  god  —  namely, 
the  prophet  —  a  fowler's  snare,  etc.  But  that  is  extremely  in- 
volved and  calls  for  a  slight  change  of  text.  The  simplest  render- 
ing of  the  text  as  it  stands  is,  Ephraim  is  a  watchman  with  my 
God,  a  prophet;  a  fowler's  snare  is  upofi  all  his  ways,  etc.;  but  this 
yields  no  fitting  meaning.  As  simple  a  change  of  text  as  any 
gives  us,  A  spy  is  Ephraim,  the  people  of  my  God;  as  for  the  prophet, 
a  fowler's  snare  is  upon  all  his  ways.  That  is,  instead  of  being 
met  with  sympath}^  and  cooperation,  the  prophet  finds  the  whole 
people  suspicious  of  him  and  setting  traps  to  catch  him.  And 
enmity  in  the  house  of  his  God,  the  word  "  enmity  "  is  best 
treated  as  a  mistaken  repetition  from  the  end  of  v.  7.  "  House 
of  his  God  "  means  the  land  of  Israel,  as  in  8 :  i,  and  is  to  be  con- 
nected with  vs.  9. 

9.  They  have  deeply  corrupted  themselves ;  better,  with  a 
slight  change  of  text  and  joined  to  vs.  8,  in  the  house  of  his  God, 
they  have  digged  a  deep  pit.  This  is  parallel  to  a  fowler's  snare  is 
in  all  his  ways  and  means  the  same  thing.  As  in  the  days  of 
Gibeah ;   the  only  known  episode  to  which  reference  can  be  made 

128 


THE  BOOK   OF  HOSEA 


But  they  came  to  Baal-peor,  and  consecrated  ^  them- 
selves unto  the  shameful  thing ;  ^ 
and   became   abominable   like    that    which    they 
loved.  ^ 

11.  As  for  Ephraim,  their  glory  shall  fly  away  like  a 

bird: 
there  shall  be  no  birth,  and  none  with  child,  and 
no  conception. 

12.  Though  they  bring  up  their  children, 

yet  will  I  bereave  them,  that  there  be  not  a  man 

left:  4 
yea,  woe  also  to  them  when  I  depart  from  them  !  ^ 

1  m.  separated.  2  Heb.  to  shame.  ^  Gr.  like  the  loved  ones.  *  Gr.  they  shall  be 
made  childless  from  men.  ^  Gr.  them,  my  flesh  from  them.  Syr.  when  I  take  vengeance 
upon  them. 

is  that  recorded  in  Judg.  19,  and  that  case  has  no  especial  bearing 
upon  this.  He  will  remember  their  iniquity,  he  will  visit  their 
sins;   repeated  from  8  :  13. 

ID.  Like  grapes  in  the  wilderness;  an  object  of  delight. 
The  firstripe  in  the  fig  tree  at  her  first  season ;  evidently  a  much 
esteemed  delicacy.  They  came  to  Baal-peor ;  probably  the  same 
as  Beth-peor,  the  full  name  of  which  may  have  been  Beth-baal- 
peor;  cf.  Numb.  23  :  28;  25:3,5;  31:16;  Deut.  3:29;  4:46. 
And  consecrated  themselves  unto,  set  themselves  apart  religiously 
to  the  service  of,  the  shameful  thing,  or  as  in  Hebrew,  shame. 
This  is  probably  a  later  substitute  for  Baal  which  stood  here 
originally;  cf.  Ish-baal  and  its  later  equivalent,  Ish-bosheth 
{i.e.  shame),  Merib-baal  and  Mephibosheth.  And  became 
abominable ;  literally,  abominations ,  a  term  commonly  applied 
to  foreign  gods,  idols,  and  unclean  objects. 

11.  Swift  and  sudden  destruction  will  befall  Israel.  The 
propagation  of  the  nation  will  cease ;  there  will  be  no  new  genera- 
tions born. 

12.  If  by  any  chance  they  should  rear  more  children,  Jehovah 
will  bring  total  bereavement  upon  them.  Yea,  woe  also  to  them 
when  I  depart  from  them;  failing  to  realize  what  Jehovah's 
favor  has  meant  to  them,  he  will  open  their  blind  eyes  by  deserting 
them  altogether  and  leaving  them  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the 
powerless  gods  they  have  been  serving. 

K  129 


13 


THE   BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


13.  Ephraim,  like  as  I  have  seen  Tyre,  is  planted  in  a 

pleasant  place :  ^ 
but  Ephraim  shall  bring  out  his  children  to  the 
slayer.^ 

14.  Give  them,  O  Lord  :  what  wilt  thou  give  ? 

give  them  ^  a  miscarrying  womb  and  dry  breasts. 

15.  All  their  wickedness  is  in  Gilgal ;  for  there  I  hated 

them, 
because  of  the  wickedness  of  their  doings  I  will 

drive  them  out  of  my  house : 
I  will  love  them  no  more ; 
all  their  princes  are  revolters. 

16.  Ephraim  is  smitten,^  their  root  is   dried  up,  they 

shall  bear  no  fruit : 

^m.as  I  have  seen,  is  like  Tyre  that  is  planted,  etc.  Gr.  Ephraim,  as  I  saw,  set  their 
children  for  a  prey.  Syr.  Ephraim,  as  thou  hast  seen  Tyre,  is  planted  in  its  buildings. 
Vg.  Ephraim,  as  I  saw,  Tyre  was  founded  in  beauty.  2  Qj-_  iq  slaughter.  ^  Gr.  omits 
give  them.      ^  Gr.  has  sufered. 

13.  Ephraim,  like  as  I  have  seen  Tyre,  is  planted  in  a  pleasant 
place ;  the  difficulty  and  uncertainty  of  this  sentence  is  attested 
by  the  widely  variant  renderings  offered  by  the  versions.  A 
more  probable  textual  reading  yields.  As  for  Ephraim,  they  will 
set  its  children  as  a  prey.  This  makes  excellent  connection  be- 
tween vs.  12  and  vs.  13b.  Ephraim  shall  bring  out  his  children 
to  the  slayer ;  it  was  a  common  practice  when  cities  were  captured 
for  the  victors  to  slay  both  v/omen  and  children;  cf.  3:  10; 
10  :  14;    13  :  16  ;   Isa.  13  :  16;  Ps.  137  :  g. 

14.  Give  them,  O  Lord:  what  wilt  thou  give?  etc.;  Hosea 
entreats  Jehovah  to  bring  upon  Israel  the  curse  of  childlessness, 
which  after  all  is  a  lesser  evil  than  to  bear  children  only  to  see 
them  dashed  in  pieces  by  a  ruthless  foe. 

15.  All  their  wickedness  is  in  Gilgal ;  for  there  I  hated  them; 
no  reason  is  known  for  the  singling  out  of  Gilgal  as  the  concen- 
tration of  Ephraim's  sin  and  the  primal  cause  of  Jehovah's  dis- 
pleasure;  but  cf.  4:15;  12:11;  Numb.  4:  4;  5:5.  My  house ; 
the  land  of  Palestine  as  in  8  :  i.  I  will  love  them  no  more ;  not 
necessarily  "  never  again,"  but  rather,  "  no  longer."  All  their 
princes  are  revolters;   viz.  from  Jeho^^ah,  their  God. 

16.  This  vs.  is  more  in  keeping  with  the  thought  of  vss.  11-14 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA  lo; 


yea,  though  they  bring  forth,  yet  will  I  slay  the 
beloved  fruit  of  their  womb. 
17.   My  1  God  will  cast  them  away,  because   they   did 
not  hearken  unto  him: 
and  they  shall  be  wanderers  among  the  nations. 

XIII.  The  Destruction  of  Israel's  Altars  and  Idols, 
10 :  1-8 

10.   Israel  is  a  luxuriant  vine,^ 

which  putteth  forth  his  fruit : 
According   to  the   abundance  of   his   fruit   he  hath 
multiplied  his  altars ; 
according  to  the  goodness^  of  his  land  they  have 
made  goodly  ^  pillars.^ 

1  Gr.  omits.       2  Gr.  the  fruit  flourishing.       ^  m.  prosperity.       *  Gr.  he  huilt.      *  m. 

obelisks. 

than  with  that  of  15  and  17.  It  is  probably  misplaced  here. 
Ephraim  is  smitten ;  their  root  is  dried  up ;  the  figure  is  that  of  a 
tree  smitten  by  drought  so  that  it  can  bear  no  fruit.  Though 
they  bring  forth;  if  such  a  thing  were  possible;  cf.  8:  7.  Yet 
will  I  slay  the  beloved  fruit  of  their  womb  ;  cf.  vs.  12. 

17.  My  God;  Hosea  now  speaks  in  his  own  person.  His 
use  of  "  my  "  in  itself  reflects  his  conviction  that  Ephraim  has 
no  claim  upon  Jehovah.  Will  cast  them  away ;  viz.  into  exile. 
Because  they  did  not  hearken  unto  him ;  but  have  rebelliously 
rejected  the  entreaties  of  his  prophets.  They  shall  be  wanderers 
among  the  nations ;  just  as  they  have  wandered  away  from 
Jehovah  (7  :  13),  so  now  shall  the}^  wander  as  exiles  among  the 
peoples  to  whom  they  have  looked  for  help  instead  of  trusting 
in  their  God. 

I.  The  days  of  Jeroboam  II,  in  whose  reign  Hosea  began 
his  work,  were  characterized  by  great  prosperity  in  Israel. 
Hence  the  figure  of  the  luxuriant  vine,  which  putteth  forth  his 
fruit.  In  recognition  of  this  prosperity  Israel  had  erected  nu- 
merous altars  and  greatly  increased  the  number  of  its  pillars. 
These  were  apparently  used  in  the  service  of  the  Baalim,  who 
were  looked  upon  as  the  givers  of  the  fruits  of  the  soil.  The 
pillars  were  solitary  upright  stones  erected  at  sanctuaries  in  honor 

131 


10 : 2  THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


2.  Their  heart  is  divided ;  ^  now  shall  they  be  found 

guilty :  2 
He  shall  smite  ^  their  altars, 
he  shall  spoil  their  pillars.^ 

3.  Surely  now  shall  they  say, 

we  have  no  king : 
For  we  fear  not  Jehovah ; 

and  the  king,  what  can  he  do  for  us  ? 

4.  They  speak  ^  vain  words, 

swearing  ^  falsely  in  making  covenants :  ^ 
Therefore  judgement  springeth  ^  up  as  hemlock  ^ 
in  the  furrows  of  the  field. ^° 

1  m.  he  hath  divided  their  heart;  or,  their  heart  is  smooth.  Gr.  they  divided  their 
hearts.  2  Qj-.  iiigy  jg  destroyed.  Vg.  shall  they  perish.  ^  Gr.  utterly  destroy.  ■*  m. 
obelisks.  Gr.  their  pillars  shall  be  destroyed.  ^  Gr.  speaking  (which  agrees  with  king 
of  vs.  3).  s  Gr.  pretexts.  Vg.  of  vision.  ^  m.  they  swear  falsely ;  they  make  cove- 
nants. ^  ra.  shall  spring.  '^Gx.  grass.  Syr.  briars.  '■'^  Syr.  in  a  field  of  untitled 
land;  similarly  Gr. 

of  some  god.     They  were  commonly  used  by  both  Canaanites 
and  Israelites. 

2.  Their  heart  is  divided ;  viz.  between  the  Baalim  and 
Jehovah.  Now  shall  they  be  found  guilty ;  better,  be  confounded. 
He  shall  smite ;  Jehovah  will  bring  ruin  upon  the  pillars  and 
altars  erected  in  honor  of  the  Baalim. 

3.  Now  shall  they  say;  perhaps  rather,  do  they  say  introducing 
a  description  of  the  current  state  of  mind.  We  have  no  king; 
perhaps  a  reflection  upon  the  frequent  changes  in  the  kingship 
that  set  in  after  the  death  of  Jeroboam  II ;  or  even  an  expression 
of  hostility  toward  the  kingship,  in  that  the  monarch  is  declared 
of  no  value  to  his  people.  For  we  fear  not  Jehovah ;  this  looks 
like  a  judgment  regarding  Israel's  religion  by  some  later  writer. 
It  is  hardly  conceivable  that  the  contemporaries  of  Hosea  could 
be  justly  charged  with  indifference  toward  or  repudiation  of 
Jehovah.  Their  failure  was  rather  in  not  giving  him  their  whole 
allegiance  and  in  not  understanding,  and  accepting  the  standards 
of  social  justice  upon  which  he  insisted.  And  the  king,  what 
can  he  do  for  us?     He  is  helpless  and  useless. 

4.  They  speak  vain  words ;  words  that  mean  nothing,  hollow 
and  insincere.  Swearing  falsely  in  making  covenants;  better, 
they  swear  to  falsehood ;    they  make  bargains ;    they  lie  and  cheat 

132 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


5.  The  inhabitants  of  Samaria  shall  be  in  terror  ^ 

for  the  calves  2  of  Beth-aven:^ 
For  the  people  thereof  shall  mourn  over  it, 
and  the  priests  thereof  ^  that  rejoiced  over  it, 
for  the  glory  thereof,  because  it  is  departed  from 
it. 

6.  It  shall  also  be  carried  ^  unto  Assyria 

for  a  present  to  king  Jareb.® 
Ephraim  shall  receive  shame,^ 
and  Israel  shall   be  put  to  shame  because  of  his 
own  counsel. 

7.  ^5 /(7r  Samaria,  her  king  is  cut  off, ^ 

as  foam  ^  upon  the  water. 

1  Gr.  and  Syr.  shall  dwell.  Vg.  and  Tg.  shall  worship.  2  Gr.  and  Syr.  calf.  3  Gr. 
the  house  of  On.  ^  Gr.  as  they  provoked  him.  ^  Gr.  those  binding  it  carried.  ^  Gr. 
the  King  Jareim.  Vg.  the  king,  the  avenger.  ''  Gr.  in  a  gift.  Vg.  shame  will  seize 
Ephraim.  ^  m.  Samaria  is  cut  of  with  her  king.  Gr.  Samaria  cast  of  her  king.  Vg. 
Samaria  made  her  king  to  pass  over.        » m.  twigs.    Gr.  a  chip. 

in  all  their  dealings.  Therefore  judgement;  evidently  in  the 
sense  of  punishment.  Springeth  up ;  better,  with  m.,  shall 
spring  up.  As  hemlock;  some  poisonous  weed,  not  necessarily 
"  hemlock."  Disasters  are  to  befall  Israel  from  every  quarter, 
multiplying  like  noxious  weeds. 

5.  The  calves  of  Beth-aven;  (better  in  singular,  calf)  which 
should  be,  if  it  were  a  real  god,  a  source  of  strength  and  courage 
to  Israel,  will  be  instead  an  occasion  for  anxiety  and  fear,  being 
totally  incapable  of  protecting  itself  from  disaster.  Hosea  is 
the  first  of  the  prophets  to  denounce  the  calf-worship  of  the 
North;  cf.  8:5.  Beth-aven,  meaning  house  of  evil,  is  probably 
not  a  real  place-name,  but  an  ironical  epithet  for  Beth-el,  house 
of  God.  That  rejoiced  over  it;  better,  correcting  the  text, 
shall  agonize  for  it.  Because  it  is  departed ;  literally,  has  gone 
into  exile. 

6.  On  the  carrying  away  of  idols  by  their  captors,  cf.  Isa.  46  :  i. 
Kmg  Jareb  is  totally  unknown ;  no  such  name  occurs  in  the  known 
records  of  Assyria ;  cf.  note  on  5  :  13.  Shame  because  of  his  own 
counsel ;  i.e.  the  folly  of  the  policy  of  reliance  upon  other  nations 
and  other  gods  rather  than  upon  Jehovah  will  be  fully  revealed. 

7.  Foam;   better,  a  chip.     The  king  of  Israel,  helpless  as  a 

133 


10 : 8  THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


8.  The  high  places  also  of  Aven,  the  sin  of  Israel,  shall 

be  destroyed : 
the  thorn  and  the  thistle  shall  come  up  on  their 
altars ; 
And  they  shall  say  to  the  mountains,  Cover  us ;  ^ 
and  to  the  hills,  Fall  on  us.^ 

XIV.  The  Long-standing  and    Deep-rooted  Sin  of 
Israel  and  its  Inevitable  Outcome,  10:9-15 

9.  O  Israel,   thou    hast    sinned  ^   from  ^   the   days    of 

Gibeah :  ^ 
there   they  stood ;  ^   that   the   battle   against   the 
children  of  iniquity  should  not  overtake  them 
in  Gibeah.^ 

1  Syr.  and  Tg.  them.  2  Gr.  and  Vg.  Israel  has  sinned.  '  m.  more  than  in.  *  Gr. 
the  hills.  *  m.  there  have  they  continued.  ^  m.  shall  not  the  battle  against  the  chil- 
dren of  iniquity  overtake  thetn  in  Gibeah? 

chip  floating  on  the  surface  of  a  mighty  river  and  unable  to  deter- 
mine its  own  course,  is  slain.  The  reference  may  be  to  some 
recent  event,  or  it  may  be  an  allusion  to  the  fate  of  the  northern 
kings  in  general. 

8.  Aven,  probably  for  Bethel,  as  in  vs.  5.  The  sin  of  Israel; 
not  because  they  were  illegal  altars,  for  the  law  prohibiting  them 
had  not  yet  been  promulgated ;  but  because  they  represent  the 
whole  mistaken  cultus  of  Israel  which  fails  to  take  into  account 
the  demand  of  Jehovah  for  righteousness  and  justice.  The  calf- 
conception  of  Jehovah  is  an  insult  to  his  majesty  and  his  moral 
sublimity.  Hence,  the  altars  will  be  destroyed,  and  abandoned 
to  the  thorn  and  the  thistle.  In  their  terror  before  the  coming 
judgment,  the  people  will  cry  out  for  instant  death ;  cf .  Luke 
23  :  30;    Rev.  6:16;    9  :  16. 

9  and  10.  From  the  days  of  Gibeah;  reference  being  made 
apparently  to  Judg.  19,  to  indicate  that  Israel's  sin  is  of  long 
standing.  There  they  stood;  this  is  an  obscure  statement,  as 
is  also  the  remainder  of  vss.  9  and  10.  The  revised  version  of  the 
passage  is  very  free,  being  rather  interpretation  than  translation. 
Perhaps  the  whole  passage  should  be  reconstructed  as  follows : 
there  they  said,  "  War  will  not  reach  its  in  Gilead."     But  I  came 

134 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


10.  When  it  is  my  desire/  I  will  chastise  them ; 

and  the  peoples  shall  be  gathered  against  them, 
when   they  are   bound"   to^  their   two  transgres- 
sions. 

11.  And  Ephraim  is  a  heifer  that  is  taught,  that  loveth 

to  tread  out  the  grain;  ^ 
but  I  have  passed  over  upon  her  fair  ^  neck : 
I  will  set  a  rider  on   Ephraim;   Judah  shall  plow,® 
Jacob  shall  break  his  clods.^ 

12.  Sow  to  yourselves  in  righteousness,^  reap  according  to 

kindness ;  ^ 
break  up  your  fallow  ground :  ^^ 
for  it  is  time  ^^  to  seek  ^-  the  Lord, 
till  he  come  and  rain  ^^  righteousness  upon  you. 


1  Some  codices  of  the  Gr.  omit  the  first  phrase;  others  read  for  it,  he  came.  Syr.  in 
my  rebuke.  ^xn..  yoked.     Gr.  in  their  being  trained;  similarly  Syr.  ^Ta..Jor. 

■*  Gr.  loveth  strife.  ^  Syr.  omits.  ^  Syr.  shall  tread.  Gr.  /  will  be  silent  as  to  Judah. 
7  Gr.  Jacob  will  strengthen  him.  Syr.  Jacob  will  plunder  hira.  ^  Syr.  sow  to  yourselves 
righteousness.  ^  Gr.  reap  unto  fruit  of  life.  i"  Gr.  and  Syr.  kindle  the  light  for  your- 
selves. 11  Gr.  connecting  with  previous  phrase,  the  light  of  knowledge.  12  Qj-  seek  ye. 
13  m.  and  teach  you  righteousness.     Gr.  till  the  fruits  of  righteousness  come  to  us. 

against  the  children  of  iniquity  and  chastised  them;  the  tribes  were 
gathered  against  them  for  their  two  sins.  This  experience  of  the 
past  should  be  a  lesson  to  the  Israel  of  the  present. 

11.  Ephraim  has  been  a  trained  heifer  that  rejoiced  in  the 
task  of  trampling  around  upon  the  threshing-floor  and  eating  freely 
of  the  grain  (cf.  Deut.  25:4);  but  all  this  must  now  come  to  an 
end.  But  I  have  passed  over  upon  her  fair  neck ;  this  is  a  curious 
statement,  which  is  probably  better  changed  to,  hut  I  have  caused 
a  yoke  to  pass  over  upon  her  fair  neck.  Harsh  experiences  are 
now  before  Israel ;  the  days  of  ease  are  past.  I  v/lII  set  a  rider 
on  Ephraim;  rather,  /  will  make  Ephraim  draw  the  plough. 
Judah  shall  plow,  Jacob  shall  break  his  clods;  rather,  Judah 
shall  harrow  for  him,  viz.  Jacob,  or  Jacob  may  be  an  unnecessary 
explanatory  note  by  some  editor. 

12.  In  righteousness ;  better  to  take  "  righteousness  "  with- 
out "  in  "  as  the  object  of  the  verb,  sow  righteousness,  as  in  the 
Syriac.  Reap  according  to  kindness ;  better,  following  the  Greek, 
reap  the  fruit  of  piety.     Break  up  your  fallow  ground ;    for  it  is 

135 


I0:i3  THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


13.  Ye  have  plowed  ^  wickedness,  ye  have  reaped  iniquity ; 

ye  have  eaten  the  fruit  of  Hes :  ^  for  thou  didst 
trust  in  thy  way,^  in  the  multitude  of  thy  mighty 
men.^ 

14.  Therefore  shall  a  tumult  arise  among ^  thy  people,® 

and  all  thy  fortresses  shall  be  spoiled,^ 
as   Shalman   spoiled    Beth-arbel^  in   the   day   of 

battle : 
the  mother  was  dashed  in  pieces  with  her  children. 

15.  So  shall  Beth-el  do  unto  you  ^  because  of  your  great 

wickedness : 
at  daybreak  ^°  shall  the  king  of  Israel  be  utterly 
cut  off. 

1  Gr.  why  were  you  silent?  2  m.  faithlessness.  ^  Some  codices  of  Gr.  in  thy  sins; 
other  codices,  in  thy  chariots.  <  Gr.  and  Syr.  in  the  abundance  of  thy  might.  ^  m. 
against.  ^  Heb.  peoples;  but  Gr.,  Syr.  and  Vg.  people.  '  Gr.  and  will  inhabit  all 
thy  walled  cities.  ^  Gr.  like  the  ruler  Salaman  from  the  house  of  Jeroboam.  Syr.  as 
Shalman  from  Bethel  spoiled.  Vg.  as  Salmana  from  the  house  of  him  who  judged  Baal. 
*m.  so  shall  it  be  done  unto  you  at  Bethel,  etc.;  Gr.  so  will  I  do  to  you,  0  house  of 
Israel.      1°  Some  codices  of  Gr.  like  dawn. 

time  to  seek  the  Lord;  better,  following  the  Greek  in  part, 
break  up  for  yourselves  an  unused  field  of  knowledge;  seek  Jehovah. 
Till  he  come  and  rain  righteousness  upon  you;  better,  again 
with  the  Greek,  till  the  fruit  of  righteousness  come  unto  you. 

13.  Israel's  whole  conduct  in  the  past  has  been  wicked  and 
corrupt  and  has  already  brought  upon  her  its  inevitable  reward. 
Thou  didst  trust  in  thy  way ;  better,  with  the  Greek,  in  thy 
chariots.  Israel  has  been  puffed  up  with  confidence  in  its  military 
power  and  has  forgotten  its  need  of  Jehovah. 

14.  A  tumult,  i.e.  the  confusion  and  terror  of  war.  Among 
thy  people,  i.e.  thy  clans  or  tribes.  Thy  fortresses,  in  which  so 
much  trust  has  been  misplaced,  shall  be  spoiled.  As  Shalman, 
etc. ;  nothing  is  known  either  as  to  the  identity  of  the  king  or 
general  mentioned,  nor  as  to  the  location  of  the  place.  Some 
frightful  destruction  of  a  town  is  evidently  called  to  mind.  The 
mother  was  dashed  in  pieces,  etc. ;  cf.  Gen.  32:11;  2  Kings  8:12; 
Ps.  137:8,  9- 

15.  So  shall  Beth-el  do  unto  you;  if  text  is  correct,  it  means 
either  that  the  foregoing  is  the  natural  outcome  of  the  worship 
represented  by  the  shrine  at  Bethel;    or  the  god  Bethel,  whose 

136 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA  11:3 


XV.  The  Love  of  Jehovah  toward  Israel,  ii  :  i-ii 

I.  Jehovah^ s  Love  in  Days  Gone  by,  11 : 1-4 

11.   When  Israel  was  a  child,  then  I  loved  him, 
and  called  my  son  ^  out  of  Egypt. 

2.  As  they  called  ^  them,  so  they  went  from  them :  ^ 

they  sacrificed  unto  the  Baalim,  and  burned  in- 
cense to  graven  images. 

3.  Yet  I  taught  Ephraim  to  go ; 

I  took  them  on  my  ^  arms ; 

but  they  knew  not  that  I  healed  them. 

»  Gr,  his  sons.       2  Gr.  as  I  called.       '  Gr.  and  Syr.  from  my  face.       *  Heb.  his. 

worship  is  attested  by  papyri  recently  discovered  at  Elephantine 
on  the  Nile,  will  show  his  nothingness  by  his  inability  to  save  his 
worshippers  from  the  aforementioned  fate.  But  it  is  perhaps 
better  to  read,  in  part  with  the  Greek,  so  shall  I  do  to  you,  0  Bethel, 
thus  making  Jehovah  threaten  Bethel  with  destruction.  At 
daybreak;  probably  to  be  corrected  to,  like  dawn,  i.e.  as 
suddenly  as  the  dawn  breaks  out  of  the  darkness,  so  unexpectedly 
will  destruction  come  upon  Israel's  king. 

I.  Called  my  son  out  of  Egypt;  elsewhere  Hosea  repre- 
sents Jehovah  as  Israel's  husband  (2  :  2,  7,  16) ;  but  any  writer 
may  change  his  figure  and  the  reference  to  Israel's  childhood  here 
puts  the  relationship  of  wife  out  of  the  question. 

2.  As  they  called  them,  so  they  went  from  them ;  this  becomes 
easier  from  the  point  of  view  of  Hebrew  grammar  and  clearer  in 
sense,  if  we  read,  following  the  Greek,  the  more  I  called  them  the 
farther  they  went  away  from  me.  The  greater  Jehovah's  efforts 
through  prophets  to  win  Israel  to  himself,  the  less  success  had  he. 
The  Baalim  and  .  .  .  graven  images ;  probably  a  charge  of  two 
kinds  of  sin,  viz.  Baal-worship  and  calf-worship. 

3.  Yet  I;  not  the  Baalim  —  an  emphatic  pronoun  here.  To 
go;  better,  to  walk.  The  figure  is  that  of  an  infant  taking  its 
first  steps.  I  took  them  on  my  arms;  ?.e.  when  tired.  Jehovah 
exercised  the  endless  love  and  patience  toward  Israel  that  char- 
acterize true  parenthood.  They  knew  not ;  i.e.  failed  to  realize 
that  it  was  I  who  healed  them.  Hosea  either  changes  his  figure 
here,  or  the  healing  must  refer  to  the  parent's  ministrations  when 
the  child  is  bruised  by  falls  or  injured  in  other  ways. 

137 


ii:4 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


4.  I  drew  them  with  cords  of  a  man, 

with  bands  of  love ;  ^ 
And  I  was  to  them  as  they  that  take  off  ^  the  yoke  ^ 
on  ^  their  ^  jaws, 
and  I  laid  meat  before  them.® 

2.   Love  spurned  leads  to  Disaster,  11 :  5-7 

5.  He  shall  not  return  into  the  land  of  Egypt ;  ^ 

but  the  Assyrian  shall  be  his  king, 
because  they  refused  to  return. 

6.  And  the  sword  shall  fall  ^  upon  his  cities, 

and  shall  consume  his  bars,^  and  devour  them, 
because  of  their  own  counsels. 

1  Gr.  my  love.  2  Gr.  as  a  man  striking.  ^  Gr.  and  Tg.  omit.  ^  Syr.  from  upon. 
^  Gr.  his.  ^  Gr.  and  I  -will  look  toward  him;  I  will  be  able  for  him.  Aquila,  and  I  bent 
toward  him  food.  Syr.  and  I  inclined  toward  them  and  they  ate.  '  Gr.  Ephraim  dwelt 
in  Egypt.  ^  m.  shall  rage  against.  Gr.  and  he  was  sick  by  the  sword;  similarly  Syr. 
Vg.  the  sword  began.  ^  Gr.  and  ceased  in  his  hands;  similarly  Syr.  Vg.  and  consumed 
his  chosen  ones. 

4.  I  drew  them  with  cords  of  a  man,  with  bands  of  love ;   the 

figure  now  changes  to  that  of  oxen  guided  by  their  driver.  Je- 
liovah's  guidance  has  been  such  as  was  suited  to  human  beings, 
characterized  by  kindness  and  love.  Jehovah  was  considerate 
of  Israel,  like  the  driver  who  removes  the  heavy  yoke  from  upon 
the  necks  of  his  oxen,  that  their  eating  may  be  in  comfort.  And 
I  laid  meat  before  them ;  a  difficult  phrase,  perhaps  to  be  read,  / 
hent  over  him  and  gave  him  food.  This  closes  the  description  of 
Jehovah's  tender  care  for  his  people. 

5.  Here  begins  a  statement  of  the  penalty  for  scorning  Je- 
hovah's claims.  He  shall  not  return  into  the  land  of  Egypt; 
this  is  the  opposite  of  what  Hosea  has  said  in  7:  16;  8 :  13 ; 
9:3,6.  It  is  practically  certain  that  not  should  be  connected 
with  vs.  4  and  translated  to  him,  which  is  identical  in  sound  with 
7iot  in  its  Hebrew  form.  This  makes  this  vs.  agree  with  Hosea's 
point  of  view  elsewhere.  But;  better  and;  Egypt  and  Assyria 
are  coupled  together  as  instruments  of  punishment,  as  also  in 
9:3.  They  refused  to  return;  a  play  on  words  —  Israel  is  to 
return  to  Egypt  because  they  will  not  return  to  Jehovah. 

6.  Shall  fall  on ;  literally,  shall  whirl  in,  i.e.  a  scene  of  indis- 

138 


THE   BOOK  OF   HOSEA 


7.  And   my  ^    people   are   bent  ^    to   backsliding   from 

me:  ^ 
though  they  call  them  to  him  that  is  on  high,'^ 
none  at  all  will  ^  exalt  him, 

3.   Jehovah's  Inability  to  abandon  Israel,  11:8-11 

8.  How  shall  I  give  thee  up,^  Ephraim  ? 

How  shall  I  deliver  thee/  Israel  ? 
How  shall  I  make  thee  as  Admah  ? 

How  shall  I  set  thee  as  Zeboim  ? 
Mine  heart  is  turned  within  me, 

my  compassions  are  kindled  together. 

1  Heb.  his.  2  Vg.  shall  hang.  »  Gr.  from  his  dwelling.  Syr.  lo  return  to  me.  Vg. 
to  my  return.  *  Aquila  and  Theodction,  to  the  yoke.  ^  Gr.  and  God  will  he  angry  be- 
cause of  his  honor  and  will  not.  Syr.  and  calls  upon  God  and  meditates  together,  but  no 
one  raises  hitnself.  Vg.  a  yoke  moreover  shall  be  imposed  upon  them  also,  which  mil  not 
be  carried  away.      ^  Syr.  how  shall  I  deliver  thee.      '  Gr.  protect  thee.     Syr.  help  thee. 

criminate  slaughter  is  before  the  prophet's  mind.  And  shall 
consume  his  bars;  probably  an  error  for  and  shall  consume  in 
his  cities,  which  may  be  an  explanatory  note  on  the  previous  shall 
ivhirl.  And  devour  them,  because  of  their  own  coimsels,  i.e. 
their  counsels  of  wickedness.  But  it  is  better  to  make  a  slight 
change  and  read,  and  devour  in  their  fortresses. 

7.  My  people  are  bent  to  backsliding  from  me;  the  Hebrew 
here  is  very  obscure  and  of  irregular  grammatical  construction. 
It  is  best  corrected  so  as  to  ^deld,  my  people  have  wearied  me  with 
their  rebellions.  Jehovah's  patience  is  exhausted ;  Israel  must 
now  suffer.  Though  they  call  them  to  him  that  is  on  high ;  this 
text  is  in  even  worse  condition  than  the  foregoing,  being  really 
untranslatable.  The  proper  way  to  correct  it  awaits  discovery. 
One  recent  reconstruction  is,  "  unto  the  yoke  Jehovah  will  ap- 
point them,  since  he  has  ceased  to  love  them."  Another  rewrites 
the  whole  verse  thus,  "  my  people  hang  back  day  after  day  upon 
its  cords ;  *  up,  up,'  does  one  call ;  but  not  once  does  it  arouse 
itself."     The  verse  remains  a  riddle. 

8.  How  shall,  or  how  can,  I  give  thee  up  ;  the  love  of  Jehovah 
for  Israel  is  so  deep  that  he  cannot  lightly  contemplate  the  pros- 
pect of  severing  relationship  with  the  nation  and  giving  it  over 
to  destruction.     Admah  and  Zeboim  were  cities  of  the  plain  which 

139 


II  :9  THE  BOOK  OF  HOSE  A 


9.   I  will  not  execute  the  fierceness  of  mine  anger, 
I  will  not  return  ^  to  destroy  Ephraim : 
For  I  am  God,  and  not  man ; 

the  Holy  One  in  the  midst  of  thee : 
and  I  will  not  enter  into  the  city.^ 
10.  They  shall  walk^   after  the  Lord,  who  shall  roar 
like  a  lion : 
for  he  shall  roar,  and  the  children  shall  come  trem- 
bling from  the  west.'* 

1  Gr.  /  will  not  abandon.  2  m.  ^wV/  not  come  in  wrath.  '  Gr.  /  will  walk.  *  Gr. 
and  children  of  waters  will  be  amazed.     Syr.  and  children  from  the  people  shall  tremble. 

were  destroyed  in  the  overthrow  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah ;  cf . 
Gen.  14:  8;  19:  28  f.  Mine  heart  is  turned  within  me,  etc.; 
the  feelings  of  Jehovah  completely  overcome  him. 

9.  I  will  not  execute  the  fierceness  of  mine  anger;  this  and 
the  following  statements,  through  vss.  10  and  11,  are  quite  the 
opposite  of  what  Hosea  has  said  thus  far  regarding  Jehovah's 
purpose ;  cf.  vs.  6  ;  10  :  14 ;  9:152.;  8  :  13  f. ;  4:3.  It  is  better 
to  regard  this  whole  section,  vss.  9-1 1,  as  having  originated  with 
some  later  editor,  whose  convictions  regarding  Jehovah's  mercy 
led  him  to  supplement  Hosea's  words  in  this  way.  I  will  not 
return  to  destroy,  i.e.  I  will  not  again  punish  Ephraim ;  written 
probably  after  the  fall  of  Samaria  in  721  B.C.  I  am  God,  and 
not  man;  not  subject  therefore  to  feelings  of  passionate  revenge, 
such  as  actuate  human  beings.  Hence  he  will  not  allow  himself 
to  be  carried  away  by  unreasoning  wrath  to  such  an  extent  as 
to  destroy  Israel  completely.  The  Holy  One  in  the  midst  of 
thee ;  cf .  Isa.  6  :  3-7.  The  thought  of  holiness  in  early  Israel 
laid  emphasis  upon  the  idea  of  separation  from  everything  that 
was  not  holy.  And  I  will  not  enter  into  the  city ;  the  meaning 
of  this  statement  in  this  context  is  so  ambiguous  that  many  re- 
cent scholars  insist  that  the  text  must  be  in  error  here.  No  agree- 
ment prevails  among  those  accepting  this  translation  as  to  its 
bearing  upon  the  discourse.  The  simplest  emendation  offered 
so  far  yields,  and  I  come  not  to  consume. 

10.  They  shall  walk  after  the  Lord,  who  shall  roar  like  a  lion ; 
this  is  a  description  of  the  return  from  exile.  Jehovah's  call, 
like  a  lion's  roar,  will  be  heard  far  and  wide,  bringing  joy  to  his 
people  and  terror  to  their  enemies.  Children  shall  come  trem- 
bling from  the  west ;  this  again  is  a  hopelessly  obscure  line.     The 

140 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA  n 


11.  They  shall  come  trembling  ^  as  a  bird  out  of  Egypt, 

and  as  a  dove  out  of  the  land  of  Assyria : 
And  I  will  make  them  to  dwell  ^   in  their  houses, 
saith  the  Lord. 

XVT.  The  Unpardonable  Deceit  of  Israel,  11:12- 

12 :  14 

12.  Ephraim  compasseth  me  about  with  falsehood, 

and  the  house  of  Israel  with  deceit : 
But  Judah  yet  ruleth  with  God,^  and  is  faithful  with 
the  Holy  One.^ 

1  Vg.  They  shall  fly  away.  ^  Gr.  /  will  restore  them.  Syr.  I  will  return  them.  ^  Gr. 
now  God  knows  them,  connecting  Judah  with  the  previous  phrase.  Vg.  Judah,  more- 
over, descends  as  a  witness  with  God.  Syr.  until  the  people  of  God  descend,  treating  Judah 
as  in  Gr.  *  m.  and  Judah  is  yet  unsteadfast  with  God,  and  with  the  Holy  One  who  is 
faithful.     Gr.  and  will  be  named  a  holy  people  of  God.    Syr.  a  holy  people  and  faithful. 

Hebrew  says  literally,  and  shall  tremble  sons  from  sea.  But  the 
exiles  have  been  represented  as  living  in  Assyria  on  the  east  or 
in  Egypt  on  the  south.  Hence  there  is  no  meaning  in  "  from 
sea  "  or  "  from  west  "  in  speaking  of  their  return. 

11.  As  a  bird  and  as  a  dove;  probably  intended  to  represent 
the  swiftness  of  the  return.  Egypt  and  Assyria ;  Hosea  himself 
seems  to  have  been  uncertain  where  the  Hebrew  exiles  would  be 
taken,  whether  to  Assyria  or  Egypt.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
later  Jewish  exiles  scattered  themselves  over  the  whole  known 
world.  And  I  will  make  them  to  dwell;  we  should  probably 
read  with  the  Greek,  /  will  cause  them  to  return  to  their  houses. 

12.  Compasseth  me  about  with  falsehood;  the  whole 
religious  atmosphere  is  surcharged  with  faithlessness  to  Jehovah ; 
cf .  4  :  2  ;  6:7;  7:1,3,13;  ID  :  4,  13.  Judah  yet  ruleth  with 
God;  a  very  uncertain  phrase;  the  word  '^  ruleth  "  elsewhere 
means  "  roam  around,"  which  is  wholly  unsuitable  here.  The 
exact  meaning  is  beyond  recovery,  but  if  the  following  phrase 
is  correctly  preserved,  it  seems  necessary  to  suppose  that  this  is 
a  word  of  praise  for  Judah.  In  that  case,  this  and  the  following 
phrase  must  be  regarded  as  a  later  addition,  for  Hosea  elsewhere 
does  not  discriminate  in  favor  of  Judah  ;  cf.  5  :  5,  lo,  12  ff. ;  6:4; 
ID :  II ;  12:2.  But,  in  view  of  12  :  2,  it  seems  probable  that  the 
text  here  is  corrupt,  and  that  originally  this  was  a  word  of  denun- 
ciation, rather  than  praise.    And  is  faithful  with  the  Holy  One, 

141 


12: 1  THE   BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


12.   Ephraim  feedeth  on  wind  ^  and  foUoweth  after  the 
east  wind : 
he  ^  continually  multiplieth  lies  and  desolation ;  ^ 
And  they  make  a  covenant  with  Assyria, 
and  oil  is  carried  ^  into  Egypt. 

2.  The  Lord  hath  also  a  controversy  with  Judah, 

and  will  punish  ^  Jacob  according  to  his  v/ays ; 
according  to  his  doings  will  he  recompense  him. 

3.  In  the  womb  he  took  his  brother  by  the  heel ; 

and  in  his  manhood  ^  he  had  power  ^  with  God : 

1  Gr.  Ephraim  is  a  bad  wind.  2  Syr.  they.  ^  Gr.  falsehood.  *  Syr.  they  carry. 
Gr.  he  imported.  Vg.  he  bore.  ^  Heb.  visit  upon.  « m.  strength.  Gr.  troubles. 
'  m.  he  strove.   Vg.  he  was  straight. 

i.e.  with  God,  in  contrast  to  Israel  that  has  been  disloyal  to 
Jehovah.  The  same  doubt  exists  here  as  in  the  foregoing  clause. 
If  this  be  the  true  meaning,  this  clause  too  is  of  late  origin.  The 
only  change  thus  far  offered  which  yields  the  kind  of  sense  called 
for  is,  and  with  sodomites  is  joined. 

1.  Feedeth  on,  or  shepherds,  the  wind;  i.e.  the  outcome 
of  Ephraim's  endeavor  will  be  nothingness,  or  worse,  for  the  east 
wind  is  the  sultry,  killing  wind  from  the  dry  and  parched  desert. 
Desolation;  better,  with  a  slight  change  of  text,  falsehood;  cf. 
II :  12.  They  make  a  covenant  with  Assyria,  and  oil  is  carried 
into  Egypt;  this  is  an  evidence  of  Israel's  deceit  and  faithlessness. 
They  turn  to  foreign  nations  and  their  gods  for  aid,  notwithstand- 
ing the  fact  that  their  sole  allegiance  and  confidence  are  pledged 
to  Jehovah.  Furthermore,  it  may  have  been  that  they  were 
dealing  with  both  nations  at  the  same  time,  planning  to  cast  in 
their  lot  with  the  stronger  when  it  should  appear  which  way  for- 
tune was  going. 

2.  A  controversy  with  Judah;  a  sharp  contrast  to  11:12. 
Jacob  represents  northern  Israel.  The  doings  of  Israel  are  re- 
sponsible for  the  coming  downfall ;    cf .  4  :  9  ;    5:4. 

3.  The  reference  to  Jacob  in  vs.  2  led  some  editor  to  inscribe 
upon  the  margin  of  a  manuscript  one  of  the  traditions  regarding 
Jacob  which  seemed  to  him  characteristic  and  of  interest  in  con- 
nection with  Hosea's  charges  against  Jacob.  This  editorial 
addition,  with  some  editorial  comment,  is  contained  in  vss.  3-6 
and  12,  13.  The  genuine  Hosea  material  in  this  chapter  is  thus 
limited  to  vss.  i,  2,  7-1 1,  14. 

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THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


4.  Yea,  he  had  power  ^  over  the  angel,  and  prevailed : 

he  wept,  and  made  suppHcation  unto  him :  ^ 
He  found  him  ^  at  Beth-el,^ 
and  there  he  spake  with  us ;  ^ 

5.  Even  the  Lord,  the  God  of  hosts ;  ^ 

the  Lord  is  his  memorial. 

6.  Therefore  turn  thou  to  thy  God : 

keep  mercy  and  judgement, 
and  wait  on  thy  God  continually. 

7.  He  is  a  trafficker,^  the  balances  of  deceit  are  in  his 

hand: 
he  loveth  to  oppress.^ 

1  Vg.  he  was  strong.  Syr.  omits.  2  Qr.  fjjgy  -ui^ept  and  they  besought  me.  Syr.  omits 
he  wept.  3  Qr.  ^^.  4  Qr.  i^  //^g  house  of  On.  ^  Gr.  to  them.  Syr.  him.  *  m.  for 
the  Lord  is  the  God  of  hosts.  ''  m.  as  for  Canaan,  the  etc.  or  he  is  a  Canaanite.  Heb. 
Canaan.       ^  m.  defraud.   Vg.  calumny. 

In  the  womb,  etc. ;  cf .  Gen.  25  :  26.  He  had  power  with  God ; 
better,  he  strove  with  God;  cf.  Gen.  32  :  24-29.  So  also  he  strove 
with  the  angel;  angel  here  is  equivalent  to  God;  cf.  Gen.  16  :  10; 
17:  18-20;   Judg.  6:  11-24. 

4.  He  found  him  at  Beth-el  and  there  he  spake  with  us ;  better, 
with  him,  as  in  Syriac.  This  is  a  reference  to  Jacob's  dream;  cf. 
Gen.  28  :  10-22. 

5.  Even  the  Lord,  the  God  of  hosts ;  the  Lord  is  his  memorial ; 
better,  Jehovah,  the  God  of  hosts,  Jehovah  is  his  name ;  a  specifica- 
tion of  the  person  referred  to  in  the  foregoing  spake  with  him. 
For  memorial  in  sense  of  name  or  title,  cf.  Exod.  3:15. 

6.  Therefore  turn  thou  to  thy  God ;  perhaps,  hy  the  help  of 
thy  God.  The  words  are  addressed  to  Israel  in  exhortation  by  the 
writer  of  this  note.  Keep  mercy  and  judgement,  etc. ;  this  is  the 
kind  of  admonition  common  in  later  times  and  probably  belongs 
to  the  Deuteronomic  age. 

7.  He  is  a  trafficker ;  the  balances  of  deceit  are  in  his  hand ; 
better,  A  Canaan!  balances,  etc.,  i.e.  Jacob,  or  Israel,  is  charac- 
terized as  a  Canaanite,  a  designation  almost  equivalent  to  "  a 
tricky  merchant,"  for  trade  and  commerce  had  been  learned  from 
the  Canaanites  by  Israel ;  cf.  Prov.  31  :  24 ;  Job  41  :  6 ;  Zeph.  i  :  11. 
Deceitful  balances  are  denounced  also  in  Am.  8:5.  To  oppress; 
i.e.  by  reducing  people  to  poverty  through  cheating  them  out  of 
their  hard-earned  gains. 

143 


12:8  THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


8.  And  Ephraim  said,  Surely  I  am  become  rich, 

I  have  found  me  wealth :  ^ 
In  all  my  ^  labours  they  shall  find  ^  in  me  ^ 
none  iniquity  that  were  sin.^ 

9.  But  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God^ 

from  the  land  of  Egypt ; 
I  will  yet  again  make  thee  to  dwell  in  tents, 
as  in  the  days  of  the  solemn  feast. 
10.   I  have  also  spoken  unto  the  prophets, 
and  I  have  multiplied  visions ; 
and  by  the  ministry  ^  of  the  prophets  have  I  used 
similitudes. 

1  Gr.  relief.  Vg.  an  idol.  Syr.  pain.  2  Gr.  his.  ^  Gr.  shall  be  found.  Syr.  none 
of  my  labors  suffices.  *  Gr.  for  him.  ^  Syr.  for  the  sin  which  he  has  sinned.  Gr.  on 
account  of  the  sins  which  he  sinned.  ^  Gr.  inserts  who  brought  thee  up.  Syr.  and  Tg. 
insert  who  caused  thee  to  go  forth.      ^  Heb.  hand. 

8.  And  Ephraim  said ;  better,  btit  Ephraim  says,  i.e.  Ephraim 
retorts  to  the  charges  of  crookedness  that  she  has  acquired  wealth 
thereby.  Prosperity  was  for  the  early  Hebrew  a  proof  of  the 
divine  favor.  Hence  the  patent  facts  show  that  the  prophet's 
charges  cannot  be  true ;  prosperity  presupposes  piety.  In  all 
my  labours  they  shall  find  in  me  none  iniquity  that  were  sin; 
the  meaning  of  this  is  that  Israel  repudiates  the  charge  of  cheat- 
ing, and  declares  that  all  her  wealth  has  been  honestly  obtained. 
It  is  better  translated,  however,  with  some  change  of  text,  none 
of  his  gains  shall  suffice  to  him  for  the  guilt  wherein  he  has  sifined. 
The  wealth  Israel  has  secured  will  not  serve  to  justify  the  treach- 
ery and  deceit  which  have  contributed  to  the  gaining  of  it. 

9.  But;  better,  for.  1  am  the  Lord  thy  God.,  etc.,  better,  /, 
Jehovah,  thy  God  from  the  land  of  Egypt,  will  again  make,  etc. 
The  punishment  awaiting  Israel  for  her  sin  will  be  in  kind  a 
repetition  of  exile  from  home  land,  like  the  Egyptian  bondage. 
As  in  the  days  of  the  solemn  feast,  i.e.  the  feast  of  booths,  when 
all  the  people  took  to  tent  life;    cf.  Lev.  23  :  39-43. 

10.  I  have  also  spoken  unto  the  prophets,  etc.,  i.e.  Jehovah 
has  done  everything  in  his  power  to  turn  Israel  into  the  right 
paths,  but  she  has  persisted  in  going  astray.  She  will  not  learn 
to  do  right.  Have  I  used  similitudes ;  it  must  be  rendered  by  a 
verb  in  the  future,  will  I ;  but  this  meaning  yields  little  sense 
here.     Perhaps,  we  should  associate  the  verb  with  another  root 

144 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


11.  Is  Gilead  iniquity  ?  ^  they  are  altogether  vanity ; 

in  Gilgal  they  sacrifice  bullocks :  ^ 
Yea,  their  altars  are  ^  as  heaps  ^ 
in  the  furrows  of  the  field. 

12.  And  Jacob  fled  into  the  field  of  Aram, 

and  Israel  served  for  a  wife, 
and  for  a  wife  he  kept  sheep. 

13.  And  by  a  prophet  ^  the  Lord  brought  Israel  up  out 

of  Egypt, 
and  by  a  prophet  was  he  preserved.^ 

14.  Ephraim  hath  provoked  to  anger  most  bitterly :  ^ 

1  Gr.  unless  Gilead  is,  then  they,  etc.  Syr.  in  Gilead  is  pain.  2  Qr.  surely  false  ones 
were  in  Gilead,  rulers  sacrificing.  Syr.  to  vanity  ye  sacrifice  oxen  in  Gilgal.  ^  m. 
shall  be.  <  Gr.  tortoises.  ^  Syr.  prophets.  «  m.  kept.  ''  Gr.  Ephraim  was  angry 
and  provoked  to  anger;  similarly  Syr. 

and  render,  through  the  prophets  will  I  destroy.  They  have  re- 
fused to  take  the  prophets  as  guides  to  safety ;  now  they  shall  be 
led  by  them  to  ruin ;   cf .   4:5;   6:5;   Mic.  3:52. 

11.  Is  Gilead  iniquity?  Doubtless  to  be  corrected,  with  the 
Syriac,  to  in  Gilead  is  iniquity;  cf.  6:8.  In  Gilgal;  cf.  4:  15; 
9:15.  They  sacrifice  bullocks ;  there  was  nothing  reprehensible, 
so  far  as  we  know,  in  the  sacrifice  of  oxen  in  Gilgal.  Sacrifice  in 
the  days  of  Hosea  was  legitimate  at  any  shrine  dedicated  to 
Jehovah.  The  probability  is  that  we  should  read  they  sacrifice  to 
demons,  a  charge  of  idolatrous  worship  of  alien  gods.  If  this 
reading  be  correct,  the  preceding  phrase,  they  are  altogether 
vanity,  is  a  marginal  note  characterizing  the  "  demons,"  which 
has  crept  into  the  text.  Yea,  their  altars  are,  etc. ;  a  comparison 
of  the  numerous  idolatrous  altars  to  the  piles  of  stone  dotting  the 
fields  after  the  stones  lying  on  the  surface  have  been  gathered 
together.  The  downfall  of  Gilead  came  through  Tiglath-pileser 
of  Assyria;  cf.  2  Kings  15:  29.  His  own  record  of  the  event, 
in  a  badly  preserved  text,  runs  thus :  "  the  town  Gilead  .  .  . 
Abel  .  .  .  which  is  a  part  of  the  land  of  the  house  of  Omri  .  .  . 
the  broad,  throughout  its  extent  I  added  to  the  territory  of 
Assyria ;    and  established  my  officer  as  governor  over  them." 

12.  This  and  vs.  13  belong  to  the  editorial  addition.  The 
story  referred  to  occurs  in  Gen.  27  :  41-30 :  43. 

13.  A  prophet;  evidently  Moses  is  meant;  for  a  similar 
estimate  of  his  function,  cf.  Deut.  18:  15,  18. 

L  145 


i3:i 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


therefore  shall  his  blood  be  left  ^  upon  him, 
and  his  reproach  shall  his  Lord  return  unto  him. 

XVII.    How   ARE   THE   MiGHTY   FALLEN  !      t^  I  I-16 

I.   Baal  Worship  spells  Ruin,  13  :  1-8 

13.   When  Ephraim  spake,  there  was  trembling ;  ^ 
he  exalted  himself  in  Israel :  ^ 
but  when  he  offended  in  Baal,  he  died.^ 
2.   And  now  ^  they  sin  more  and  more, 

and  have  made  them  molten  images  of  their  silver, 
Even  idols  according  to  their  own  understanding,^ 
all  of  them  the  work  of  the  craftsmen : 

1  Gr.  and  Syr.  be  poured  out.    Vg.  shall  come.  2  m.  -i^Jien  Ephraim  spake  with 

trembling.  Gr.  according  to  the  word  Ephraim  ordinances.  Syr.  when  he  spake  Ephraim 
■was  trembling.  ^  Gr.  {ordinafices)  he  himself  took  in  Israel.  Syr.  and  he  was  prince 
in  Israel;  similarly  Tg.  *  m.  when  he  became  guilty,  etc.  Gr.  and  he  set  them  for  the 
Baal  and  died.  ^  Gr.  omits  now.  ^  Gr.  according  to  the  image  of  idols.  Vg.  idols  as 
if  a  likeness.    Syr.  according  to  their  likeness. 

14.  This  is  the  return  which  Israel  has  made  to  Jehovah's 
efforts  in  her  behalf;  cf.  vs.  10.  Blood  be  left  upon  him,  i.e. 
the  crimes  he  has  committed  shall  not  be  forgiven,  but  shall 
remain  upon  him  as  a  burden  of  guilt  to  be  avenged.  His  re- 
proach; either  the  reproach  brought  upon  Jehovah  by  the  sins 
of  his  people,  or  the  reproach  resting  upon  Israel  on  account 
of  its  many  sins.  Re^arn  unto  him,  i.e.  repay  to  him  in  fitting 
penalty. 

1.  The  influence  of  Ephraim  in  days  gone  by  was  very 
great ;  his  words  carried  weight.  He  exalted  himself  in  Israel ; 
better,  he  was  a  prince  in  Israel.  Ephraim  is  thought  of  here 
not  as  a  name  for  the  whole  Northern  Kingdom,  but  as  repre- 
senting simply  the  main  tribe  in  Israel,  from  which  leadership 
had  come  in  the  past.  But  all  this  power  passed  away  as  a  result 
of  the  adoption  of  Baal  worship,  which  sounded  the  death-knell 
of  the  nation. 

2.  There  is  no  improvement  at  the  present  day;  rather,  Israel 
goes  from  bad  to  worse.  Molten  images,  i.e.  the  calves  of 
Bethel,  Dan,  and  other  shrines;  cf.  8  :  5,  6.  According  to  their 
own  understanding ;  better,  with  the  versions,  according  to  their 
pattern.     The  work  of  the  craftsmen;    nothing  godlike  about 

146 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


They  say  of  them, 

Let  the  men  that  sacrifice  ^  kiss  the  calves. 

3.  Therefore  they  shall  be  as  the  morning  cloud, 

and  as  the  dew  that  passeth  early  away, 
As  the  chaff  that  is  driven  with  the  whirlwind  out 
of  the  threshing-floor, 
and  as  the  smoke  out  of  the  chimney. 

4.  Yet  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God  ^  from  the  land  of  Egypt ; 

and  thou  shalt  know  ^  no  god  but  me, 
and  beside  me  there  is  no  saviour. 

5.  I  did  know  thee*  in  the  wilderness, 

in  the  land  of  great  drought.^ 

6.  According  to  their  pasture,  so  were  they  filled ; 

they  were  filled,^  and  their  heart  was  exalted: 
therefore  have  they  forgotten  mc. 

1  m.  the  sacrificers  of  men.  Gr.  sacrifice  ye  men;  the  calves  have  indeed  forsaken. 
2  Gr.  adds  here,  the  one  establishing  the  heavens  and  creating  the  earth,  whose  hands 
created  all  the  host  of  the  heavens,  and  I  did  not  show  them  to  thee  in  order  that  thou  mightest 
follow  after  them;  and  I  led  thee.  Syr.  inserts,  who  led  thee.  ^  m.  thou  knowest. 
*  Gr.  and  Syr.  /  shepherded  thee.  ^  Gr.  in  an  uninhabited  land.  Vg.  in  a  land  of  soli- 
tude. Syr.  in  a  land  of  drought,  which  was  not  inhabited.  «  Gr.  according  to  their  pas- 
tures; and  they  were  filled  imtof Illness.  Syr.  and  thou  didst  shepherd  them;  and  their 
bellies  were  filled. 

them  ;  the  product  of  human  hands.  They  say  of  them,  Let  the 
men  that  sacrifice  kiss  the  calves  ;  this  is  very  difficult,  both  from 
the  point  of  view  of  Hebrew  grammar  and  from  that  of  meaning. 
It  is,  perhaps,  better  to  read,  to  such  those  sacrificing  say,  0  God. 
Men  kissing  calves  !  Kissing  was  an  act  of  worship  ;  cf .  i  Kings 
19 :  18.     This  last  phrase  is  the  prophet's  exclamation  of  disgust. 

3.  The  prophet  heaps  up  descriptions  of  the  speedy  downfall 
of  the  Northern  Kingdom. 

4.  From  the  land  of  Egypt,  i.e.  from  the  time  of  the  Exodus ; 
perhaps  we  should  insert  before  this,  with  the  Greek  and  Syriac, 
who  led  thee.  Thou  shait  know;  better,  with  the  margin,  thou 
knowest.     All  Israel's  good  has  come  from  Jehovah. 

5.  I  did  know  thee  in  the  wilderness;  better,  with  Gr,  and 
Syr.,  /  shepherded  thee,  etc. ;   cf.  Ps.  23  :  i. 

6.  According  to  their  pasture,  so  were  they  filled ;  they  were 
filled;    better,  with  some  change    of  text,  when    they  pastured, 

147 


I3t7 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


7.  Therefore  am  I  ^  unto  them  as  a  lion : 

as  a  leopard  will  I  watch  by  the  way :  ^ 

8.  I  will  meet  them  as  a  bear  that  is  bereaved  of  her 

whelps, 
and  will  rend  the  caul  of  their  heart : 
And  there  will  I  ^  devour  them  like  a  lion ; 
the  wild  beast  shall  tear  them. 

2.   I sraeVs  Princes  are  Powerless  before  Jehovah,  13:9-11 

9.  It  is  thy  destruction,'*  O  Israel, 

that  thou  art  against  me,  against  thy  help.^ 
10.   Where  now  is  thy  king, 

that  he  may  save  thee  in  ^  all  thy  cities  ? 
And  thy  judges^  of  whom  tho^  saidst,^ 
Give  me  a  king  and  princes  ?  ^ 

1  Gr.  /  will  he.  2  Gr.  as  a  leopard  according  to  the  way  of  the  Assyrians.  '  Gr. 
they.  Syr.  a  lion  {devour  them).  *  m.  thou  art  destroyed,  O  Israel,  for  thou,  etc. 
6  TO.,  for  in  me,  in  thy  help  — ,  or,  hut  in  me  is  thy  help.  Gr.  who  will  help  in  thy  de- 
struction, O  Israel?  Syr.  /  have  destroyed  thee,  0  Israel;  who  will  help  thee?  ^  Syr. 
and.  T  Gr.  let  him  judge  thee.  ^  "iyr.  whom  thou  didst  ask  from  me  and  say.  »  Gr., 
Syr.  and  Tg.  a  prince. 

they  completely  sated  themselves.  Yet,  notwithstanding  such  boun- 
teous favor,  their  heart  was  exalted :  therefore  have  they  for- 
gotten me.  Their  sense  of  self-sufficiency  shut  out  the  thought 
of  Jehovah.     Man's  needs  keep  him  in  mind  of  God. 

7.  Am  I;  better,  with  Greek,  /  will  he.  The  punishment  of 
their  sin  is  now  described.  Will  I  watch  by  the  way,  ready  to 
jump  upon  the  passing  prey.  Another  possible  reading  is^  sug- 
gested by  the  Greek,  viz.  /  will  he  to  them  like  a  lion,  like  a 
leopard,  on  the  way  to  Assyria;  i.e.  as  they  go  to  Assyria  to  seek 
aid,  Jehovah  will  fall  upon  them  with  destruction. 

8.  The  caul  of  their  heart;  literally,  the  enclosure  of  their 
heart,  i.e.  their  breast.  And  there,  viz.  by  the  roadside,  or  on  the 
way  to  Assyria, 

9.  It  is  thy  destruction ;  better,  with  a  very  easy  correction, 
I  will  destroy  thee.  That  thou  art  against  me,  against  thy  help; 
a  most  unlikely  meaning  for  the  Hebrew.  The  second  of  the 
marginal  renderings  is  much  more  probable.     But  the  Greek  and 

148 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA  13:14 


11.  I  have  given  ^  thee  a  king  in  mine  anger, 

and  have  taken  him  away  in  my  wrath. 

3.   Irrevocable  Doom,  13  :  12-16 

12.  The  iniquity  of  Ephraim  is  bound  up ; 

his  sin  is  laid  up  in  store. 

13.  The  sorrows  of  a  travailing  woman  shall  come  upon 

him: 
he  is  an  unwise  son  ; 
For  it  is  time  ^  he  should  not  tarry 

in  ^  the  place  of  the  breaking  forth  of  children. 

14.  I  will  ransom  them  from  the  power  ^  of  the  grave ;  ^ 

I  will  redeem  them  from  death : 

1  Gr.  and  Syr.  and  I  gave.  2  Gr.  omits  it  is  time.  Syr.,  Vg.  and  Tg.  for  now  he,  etc. 
*  m.  when  it  is  time,  he  standeth  not  in.      *  Heb.  hand.      ^  Heb.  Sheol. 

Syriac  suggest  a  better  reading,  viz.,    Yea,  who  will  be  thy  help? 
No  one  can  protect  Israel  against  Jehovah's  wrathful  power. 

10.  An  ironical  question  intended  to  emphasize  the  helpless- 
ness of  the  regularly  constituted  authorities.  Of  whom  thou 
saidst ;  either  at  the  time  of  the  founding  of  the  monarchy,  or  at 
the  disruption,  or  in  connection  with  the  various  changes  of 
dynasty  in  the  North. 

11.  I  have  given  .  .  .  and  have  taken;  rather,  I  give  .  .  . 
and  take.  The  various  changes  and  upheavals  in  the  dynasties  of 
the  North  can  but  mean  that  Jehovah  has  used  the  kingship 
as  an  instrument  with  which  to  punish  Israel.  The  beginning 
and  the  end  of  the  monarchy  are  alike  proofs  of  Jehovah's  anger. 

12.  Bound  up,  like  money  tied  up  in  a  bag,  stored  away  for 
future  reference.  Jehovah  will  not  forget  Ephraim's  sins,  but 
will  repay  them  in  due  time. 

13.  Sorrows ;  better,  pains  or  pangs;  agonizing  and  inesca- 
pable pain.  An  unwise  son,  or  child;  one  who  fails  to  cooperate  in 
the  labor  of  birth.  Israel  is  now  not  the  mother,  but  the  child 
on  the  point  of  being  born.  For  it  is  time ;  better,  for  now. 
He  should  not  tarry ;  literally  stand;  by  his  delay  he  forfeits 
his  life.  Some  weakness  and  indecision  in  the  national  character 
is  apparently  in  the  mind  of  the  prophet. 

14.  I  will  ransom  them  ...     I  will   redeem  them  ;    better 

149 


13115  THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


O  death,  where  ^  are  thy  plagues  ?  ^ 
O  grave, ^  where  ^  is  thy  destruction  ?  ^ 
Repentance  shall  be  hid  from  mine  eyes. 

15.  Though  he  be  fruitful  ^  among  his  brethren, 

an  east  wind  shall  come,  the  breath  ®  of  the  Lord 
coming  up  ^  from  the  wilderness, 
And  his  spring  shall  become  dry,^ 

and  his  fountain  shall  be  dried  up :  ® 
He  ^^  shall  spoil  the  treasure  of  all  pleasant  vessels. 

16.  Samaria  shall  bear  her  guilt ;  ^^ 

for  she  hath  rebelled  against  her  God : 

1  m.  7  will  be;  so  Vg.  2  Qj-.  thy  right.  Vg.  thy  death.  Syr.  thy  victory.  ^  Heb. 
Sheol.  *  Gr.  and  Syr.  thy  sting.  Vg.  thy  bite.  ^  Gr.,  Syr.  and  Vg.  separate.  *  m. 
tvind.  '  Gr.  the  Lord  will  bring  a  burning  wind  upon  him;  similarly  Vg.  and  Tg. 
8  Gr.  and  will  dry  up  his  veins;  similarly  Vg.  and  Syr.  ^  Gr.  and  will  dry  up  his 
fountains;  similarly  Vg.      ^^  ra.it.      ^^  m.  become  desolate ;  so  Gr. 

taken  as  a  question,  shall  I  (or  can  I)  ransom  them  .  .  .  shall  I 
redeem  them?  A  promise  of  redemption  is  wholly  out  of  place 
here ;  the  last  clause  of  the  verse  renders  it  impossible.  Moreover 
it  is  in  conflict  with  Hosea's  attitude  elsewhere  throughout  the 
book;  cf.  vs.  16;  10:14,  15;  12:14.  O  death,  where  are 
thy  plagues?  etc.;  not  a  cry  of  victory  over  death,  but  a 
summons  to  death  to  send  its  destroying  agencies  against 
Israel.  The  interpretation  of  this  verse  embodied  in  i  Cor. 
15  •  55  was  based  upon  the  Greek  translation  found  in  the 
Septuagint,  which  was  the  Bible  of  the  early  church,  and  does  not 
represent  the  thought  of  Hosea.  Repentance  shall  be  hid  from 
mine  eyes ;   Jehovah's  purpose  to  punish  is  fixed  and  immutable. 

15.  Though  he  be  fruitful;  a  pun  on  Ephraim,  the  sound  of 
which  in  Hebrew  suggests  the  word  for  fruitful.  Among  his 
brethren ;  it  is  difficult  to  see  who  Ephraim's  brethren  can  be ; 
for  Hosea  here  designates  the  whole  nation  as  Ephraim.  Possibly 
the  neighboring  peoples  of  Moab,  Ammon,  Edom,  etc.  are  meant. 
An  attractive  emendation  yields,  as  the  reed  among  the  waters. 
An  east  wind ;  the  most  destructive  to  vegetation,  bringing  with 
it  parching  heat  from  the  desert,  which  dries  up  all  the  water- 
sources.  He  shall  spoil  the  treasure ;  now  the  figure  is  dropped 
and  the  bald  reality  is  substituted ;  the  eastern  conqueror  will 
carry  away  all  treasures  as  spoil. 

16.  Bear  her  guilt;   cf.  10:  2;   13:  i.     A  slight  change  gives 

ISO 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA  14:2 


They  shall  fall  by  the  sword  ;^ 

their  infants  shall  be  dashed  in  pieces, 

and  their  women  with  child  shall  be  ripped  up. 

XVIII.  A  Call  to  Repentance,  14 : 1-3 

14.   O  Israel,  return  unto  the  Lord  thy  God ; 
for  thou  hast  fallen  by  thine  iniquity. 
2.   Take  with  you  words, 

and  return  unto  the  Lord  :  ^ 
Say  unto  him,  Take  away  all  iniquity ,2 
and  accept  that  which  is  good :  ^ 
so  will  we  render  as  bullocks  the  ofering  of  our  lips.* 

1  Gr.  and  Syr.  add  your  God.  2  Gr.  in  order  that  you  may  not  receive  iniquity.  Syr. 
that  he  may  leave  for  you  iniquity.  ^  m.  receive  us  graciously.  *  Gr.  and  Syr.  we 
will  render  the  fruit  of  our  (Syr.  your)  lips. 

will  he  laid  waste.  The  punishment  for  her  sin  will  be  devastat- 
ing and  terrible.  For  similar  practices  in  war,  cf.  10:  14;  Am. 
1:13;  2  Kings  8:12;  15:16;  Ps.  137:9;  Judg.  1:6  f . ; 
Josh.  10 :  24. 

There  is  no  good  reason  for  denying  14 :  1-3  to  Hosea.  The 
aim  of  Hosea's  ministry  certainly  was  to  call  Israel  to  repentance, 
that  thereby  she  might  escape  the  impending  disaster.  The 
content  of  this  call  is  in  no  way  inconsistent  with  the  message 
of  Hosea  as  found  elsewhere. 

1.  For  a  similar  strain,  cf.  2:2;  10:12.  Thou  hast  fallen; 
disaster  has  already  set  in ;  cf .  5  :  11-13  ;  7:9.  By  thine  iniquity ; 
cf.  4:  2;    5:5. 

2.  Take  with  you  words;  not  sacrificial  gifts,  but  words  ex- 
pressive of  a  change  of  heart.  Take  away  all  iniquity  is  equiva- 
lent to  "  forgive  us  our  sins,"  being  an  acknowledgement  of  guilt 
and  a  plea  for  pardon.  And  accept  that  which  is  good ;  if  this 
text  be  correct  the  meaning  must  be  "  accept  what  is  good,  viz. 
that  we  pay,  etc."  But  it  is  not  improbable  that  a  slight  error 
has  crept  in  and  that  the  original  reading  was  that  we  may  receive 
good.  So  will  we  render  as  bullocks  the  offering  of  our  lips, 
this  is  rather  an  interpretation  than  a  translation.  The  Hebrew 
is  literally  and  ive  will  render  bullocks  our  lips,  which  is  probably 
an  error  for  and  we  will  render  the  fruit  of  our  lips,  which  is  found 
in  the  Greek  and  Syriac. 

151 


14^3 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


3.  ^  Asshur  shall  not  save  us ; 

we  will  not  ride  upon  horses : 
Neither  will  we  say  any  more  to  the  work  of  our 
hands,  Ye  are  our  gods : 
for  in  thee  the  fatherless  findeth  mercy .2 

XIX.  Pardon  and  Promise,  14 : 4-8 

4.  I  will  heal  their  backsliding,^  I  will  love  them  freely  :* 

for  mine  anger  is  turned  away  from  him.  , 

1  Syr.  begins  with  and  they  will  say.  2  Gr.  the  one  in  thee  pities  the  fatherless. 

Syr.  because  thou  pitiest  the  fatherless ;  similarly  Vg.      ^  Gr.  their  dwellings.    Syr.,  Vg. 
and  Tg.  their  penitence.      *  Syr.  their  vows. 

3.  Asshur,  i.e.  Assyria,  shall  not  save  us,  i.e.  dependence  for 
help  will  no  longer  be  made  upon  Assyria;  cf.  5  :  13 ;  T.ii; 
8:9;  12:  I.  Jehovah  alone  will  be  relied  upon.  We  will  not 
ride  upon  horses;  no  trust  will  be  placed  in  cavalry;  cf.  10:14. 
Egypt  seems  to  have  been  looked  upon  as  the  chief  source  of  the 
horse  supply;  cf.  Isa.  30:16;  31:1;  Ezek.  17:15;  ^  Kings 
10  :  28.  The  work  of  our  hands ;  a  relinquishment  of  idolatry ; 
cf.  13  :  2  ;  5:12;  8  :  5,  6  ;  10 :  5,  6.  For  in  thee  the  fatherless 
findeth  mercy;  in  contrast  with  the  powerless  and  unfeeling 
idols  and  the  futile  aid  of  foreign  powers,  friendless  Israel  now 
realizes  that  Jehovah,  the  mighty  God,  will  exercise  forbearance 
and  love  toward  his  people. 

This  section  (vss.  4-8)  is,  on  the  whole,  best  regarded  as  the 
expression  of  later  thought.  It  is  an  assurance  oi  pardon  and 
prosperity  to  Israel  such  as  it  is  difficult  to  ascribe  to  Hosea. 
There  is  no  foundation  for  it  in  the  prophecy  thus  far.^  Israel  has 
only  been  urged  to  repent ;  she  has  not  recorded  her  intention  to 
accept  the  invitation.  There  is  not  in  this  section  itself  any 
statement  that  Israel  has  changed  her  character  or  her  course. 
Hosea  could  not  well  have  made  such  glowing  statements  as  these 
without  emphasizing  the  fact  of  the  moral  and  spiritual  regenera- 
tion of  Israel.  These  verses,  like  those  at  the  close  of  Amos,  have 
been  placed  here  by  a  later  editor  in  order  that  the  close  of 
Hosea's  book  might  sound  the  note  of  hope  and  positive  res- 
toration of  the  divine  favor. 

4.  This  verse  is  in  direct  contradiction  to  13  :  14-16  and  the 
burden  of  Hosea's  preaching.  Such  a  change  in  Jehovah's  atti- 
tude requires  a  preceding  and  corresponding  change  in  the  heart 

152 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA  14:8 


$.   I  will  be  as  the  dew  unto  Israel : 
he  shall  blossom  as  the  lily, 
and  cast  forth  his  roots  ^  as  Lebanon. 

6.  His  branches  shall  spread,^ 

and  his  beauty  shall  be  as  the  olive  tree, 
and  his  smell  as  Lebanon. 

7.  They  that  dwell  under  his  shadow  shall  return ;  ^ 

they  shall  revive^  as  the  corn,  and  blossom  as 

the  vine : 
the  scent  thereof  ^  shall  be  as  the  wine  of  Lebanon. 

8.  Ephraim  shall  say,  What  ^  have  I  ^  to  do  any  more 

with  idols  ? 

^Vg.  his  root  will  hurst  forth.  ^  Syr.  sprout.  ^  Syr.  shall  be  built.  Gr.  they  shall 
turn  and  shall  dwell  under  his  shadow.  *  Gr.,  Syr.  and  Tg.  sJiall  live.  Gr.  adds  and 
shall  he  drunk.      *  m.  his  memorial.      ^  m.  O  Ephraim,  what.      ^  Gr.  has  he. 

of  Israel.  Love  them  freely;  not  because  of  any  reward  from 
them,  but  of  my  own  free  initiative.  Mine  anger  is  turned 
away  from  them;    cf.  11:9;    Isa.  9:12,  17,  21;    10:4;    5:25. 

5.  As  the  dew;  refreshing  and  invigorating;  cf.  6:4.  The 
lily;  the  precise  species  of  lily  is  not  known.  There  are  in 
Palestine  as  elsewhere  several  varieties.  Cast  forth  his  roots  like 
Lebanon ;  referring  either  to  the  roots  of  the  mountains  or  to  the 
roots  of  the  cedars  that  cover  them. 

6.  Branches;  better,  shoots,  the  young  growth  springing  up 
around  the  roots  of  a  tree ;  literally  his  suckers.  The  beauty  of 
the  olive  tree  is  associated  with  its  usefulness  and  value.  Smell 
as  Lebanon,  i.e.  the  odor  of  the  cedars;  cf.  Song  of  Songs  4  :  11. 

7.  They  that  dwell  imder  his  shadow  shall  return ;  the  figure 
of  the  nation  as  a  flourishing  tree  continues.  Those  that  dwell 
under  his  shadow  must  be  the  individual  members  of  the  nation, 
to  whom  return  from  exile  is  here  promised.  But  it  is  better  to 
correct  the  text  slightly  and  read,  they  shall  again  dwell  under  his 
shadow;  viz.  the  exiles  shall  be  restored  to  their  homes  and 
"  abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty."  They  shall  revive 
as  the  com ;  a  comparison  with  the  rapid  and  luxurious  growth  of 
grain.  But  a  slightly  different  text  yields  the  better  meaning, 
they  shall  live  well-watered  like  a  garden.  The  scent  thereof  shall 
be  as  the  wine  of  Lebanon ;  i.e.  the  odor  of  the  garden  by  which 
the  renown  of  Israel  is  represented,  shall  be  as  famous  and  wide- 
spread as  that  of  the  wine  of  Lebanon ;  cf .  vs.  6. 

153 


14:9 


THE  BOOK  OF  HOSEA 


I  have  answered/  and  will  regard  ^  him : 
I  am  like  a  green  fir  tree ; 
from  me  is  thy  fruit  found. 

XX.  A  Word  to  the  Wise,  14:9 

9.   Who  is  wise,  and  he  shall  understand  these  things  ? 
prudent,  and  he  shall  know  them  ? 
For  the  ways  of  the  Lord  are  right, 
and  the  just  shall  walk  in  them ; 
but  transgressors  shall  fall  therein. 

1  Gr.  and  Syr.  /  have  humbled  him.        ^  Gr.  overpower.    Syr.  glorify.    Vg.  guide. 

8.  Ephraim  shall  say,  What  have  I  to  do,  etc.  ?  The  words 
"  shall  say  "  are  not  in  the  Hebrew ;  hence  it  is  easier  to  follow 
the  Greek  and  render,  What  has  Ephraim  to  do,  etc.  ?  Jehovah  asks 
this  question ;  it  presupposes  the  answer  "  nothing."  I  have 
answered  and  will  regard  him ;  better,  /  will  answer  and  will  care 
for  him.  Jehovah  assures  Israel  of  far  better  provision  and  pro- 
tection than  idols  could  ever  furnish.  I  am  like  a  green  fir  tree ; 
Jehovah  evidently  is  still  the  speaker.  The  refreshing  shade  of 
the  cypress,  not  fir  tree,  is  the  point  of  the  comparison.  From 
me  is  thy  fruit  fotmd ;  neither  fir  nor  cypress  produces  fruit ; 
evidently  the  prophet's  thought  has  leaped  from  the  evergreen 
to  the  fruit  tree.     All  the  blessings  of  Israel  come  from  Jehovah. 

9.  This  is  a  closing  word  added  by  an  editor  who  would  com- 
mend the  study  of  the  Book  of  Hosea  to  seekers  after  wisdom. 
Who  is  wise,  etc.?  Rather,  Who  is  wise?  Let  him  understand 
these  things,  etc.,  i.e.  such  things  as  these  constitute  the  fit  study 
of  the  man  who  would  be  wise  in  the  ways  of  Jehovah.  Prudent, 
i.e.  discerning,  intelligent.  Right,  or  straight.  The  same  ways 
prove  easy  for  some  and  hard  for  others ;  the  just  find  joy  in 
the  doing  of  God's  will,  but  transgressors  stumble  over  it. 
They  have  no  heart  for  it. 


154 


A  COMMENTARY   ON  THE  BOOK   OF 
MICAH 


15s 


INTRODUCTION 
I.  The  Book  of  Micah 

I.    THE   TEXT 

The  text  of  Micah  has  come  down  in  a  very  poor  state 
of  preservation.  Hosea  alone  among  the  Minor  Prophets 
is  in  worse  condition  and  there  is  little  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment as  a  whole  that  is  more  corrupt.  This  fact,  of 
course,  makes  any  translation  conjectural  to  a  large  ex- 
tent and  leaves  the  meaning  of  the  prophet  open  to  ques- 
tion at  many  points.  The  most  uncertain  portion  of  the 
text  is  contained  in  chaps,  i  and  2.  This  is  due  to  three 
causes,  viz.  (i)  the  presence  of  many  proper  names, 
which  are  always  easily  corrupted  in  transmission ;  (2)  the 
denunciatory  character  of  the  material  in  these  chapters, 
which  would  provoke  the  ameliorating  activity  of  later 
editors;  and  (3)  the  fact  that  these  chapters  fall  within 
the  oldest  section  of  the  book. 

2.    STYLE 

Micah  combines  the  clarity  of  Amos  with  the  passion 
of  Hosea.  That  a  prophet  with  intense  feeling  should 
indulge  in  a  series  of  puns  as  in  i :  10  ff .  may  seem  strange ; 
but  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  pun  was  employed, 
not  from  the  point  of  view  of  its  humor,  but  for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  a  deep  impression  through  a  striking 
phrase.  Most  terrible  denunciations  were  often  stated 
in  such  forms ;  cf .  Isa.  3:16  ff.    The  style  of  chaps.  1-3 

157 


INTRODUCTION 


is  straightforward  and  vigorous.  The  language  is  pic- 
torial throughout  this  section.  The  speech  of  Micah 
abounds  in  metaphors,  from  one  to  another  of  which  he 
leaps  in  rapid  succession.  He  is  a  poet  of  high  rank, 
using  not  merely  poetic  material  in  the  expression  of  his 
thought,  but  giving  to  it  also  a  carefully  wrought  out 
poetic  form.  The  regularity  of  this  poetic  form  is  less 
marked  than  in  the  case  of  Amos,  but  on  the  other  hand 
is  more  pronounced  than  in  Hosea.  The  total  effect 
is  that  of  discourse  in  the  highest  degree  vivid,  strong,  and 
logically  effective. 

In  the  latter  portion  of  the  book,  chaps.  4-7,  there  is 
a  marked  change.  On  the  whole,  these  chapters  seem 
to  proceed  from  a  less  vigorous  mind.  For  the  most  part, 
the  movement  of  thought  is  much  more  calm  and  reflec- 
tive. The  sharp  denunciation  of  chaps.  1-3  is  much  less 
in  evidence.  The  vividness  and  passion  of  those  chapters 
is  likewise  missing.  The  contrast  between  1-3  and  4-7 
is  that  between  a  tumbling  mountain  torrent  and  a 
placid  lake.  But  there  is  not  the  same  unity  of  style 
throughout  4-7  as  is  found  throughout  1-3. 


3.    UNITY 

This  leads  us  to  the  question  of  the  unity  of  the  book 
of  Micah.  The  book  resolves  itself  naturally  into  three 
divisions,  viz.  chaps.  1-3,  chaps.  4-5,  and  chaps.  6-7. 
Chaps.  1-3  contain  almost  exclusively  denunciations  of 
sin  and  threats  of  punishment ;  chaps.  4-5  are  made  up 
prevailingly  of  words  of  hope  and  encouragement ;  while 
chaps.  6-7  mingle  threat  and  promise.  But  the  point 
of  view  and  the  background  change  so  often  within  these 
divisions  that,  from  the  time  of  Ewald  on  (1867  a.d.), 

158 


INTRODUCTION 


many  scholars  have  maintained  that  the  book  was  not  all 
written  by  Micah  himself. 

Chaps.  1-3,  with  the  exception  of  i :  7  and  2:12,  13, 
are  generally  accepted  as  representing  the  thought  and 
style  of  Micah.  But  with  reference  to  chaps.  4-5  and  6-7 
the  judgment  of  scholars  is  far  otherwise.  Chaps.  4  and  5 
are  composed  of  a  collection  of  materials  from  various 
sources,  their  only  bond  of  connection  one  with  another 
being  an  attitude  of  hope  and  expectation  toward  the 
future  of  Israel.  The  only  portions  in  them  which  might 
possibly  have  originated  with  Micah  are  4 :  14  and  5  :  8-12. 
The  passages  4:  11-13  and  5 :  6-8  reflect  the  same  back- 
ground and  breathe  the  same  spirit ;  the  remaining  materials 
have  no  close  relationship  with  them  or  w^ith  one  another. 
For  example,  the  attitude  toward  the  pagan  world  in 
4:  12-13  is  quite  different  from  that  in  4:  1-4,  and  the 
conception  of  the  Messiah  in  5  :  1-3  is  not  in  keeping  with 
that  in  5  :  4-5. 

In  chaps.  6-7,  the  only  possible  descendants  from  Micah 
himself  are  6 : 9-16  and  7 :  1-6,  and  this  is  only  a  possi- 
bihty.  Micah's  authorship  of  the  rest  is  excluded.  The 
same  lack  of  inner  coherence  characterizes  these  chapters 
as  chaps.  4-5.  Two  passages,  viz.  7  :  7-10  and  7  :  14-20, 
may  have  some  mutual  relationships ;  but  even  they  are 
separated  each  from  the  other  by  7:11-13,  a  wholly 
foreign  element  in  this  context.  The  two  chapters  as  a 
whole  seem  to  evince  a  variety  of  historical  backgrounds 
and  a  multiple  authorship. 

II.  The  Prophet  Micah 

All  we  know  regarding  Micah  is  contained  in  Micah, 
chaps.  1-3  and  Jer.  26:18.     His  name  means  "Who  is 

159 


INTRODUCTION 


like  Jehovah  ?  "  But  this  is  no  evidence  of  unusual  piety 
on  his  part  or  that  of  his  parents,  since  Hebrew  children 
were  commonly  named  after  Jehovah,  even  when  the 
parents  were  not  especially  noted  for  zeal  in  his  service; 
Ahab  and  Ahaz,  for  example,  named  their  children  in  honor 
of  Jehovah. 

The  description  of  him  as  '^the  Morashtite"  (i :  i ; 
Jer.  26:18)  distinguishes  him  from  the  many  other 
bearers  of  his  name,  seven  of  whom  appear  in  the  Old 
Testament.  The  most  distinguished  of  these,  next  to 
our  prophet,  was  Micaiah  ben  Imlah,  who  is  confused  with 
our  prophet  in  i  Kings  22  :  28,  where  a  sentence  from  the 
book  of  Micah  is  ascribed  to  Micaiah  ben  Imlah.  This 
term  "Morashtite"  is  the  only  guide  we  have  to  the 
home  of  Micah.  It  most  naturally  points  to  Moresheth- 
Gath  (i :  14),  a  small  town  lying  in  the  low  hills  of  the 
Shephelah,  bordering  upon  the  territory  of  Philistia  and 
in  close  proximity  to  Gath  itself.  The  list  of  towns 
in  1 :  10  ff.,  the  destruction  of  which  calls  forth  the  poign- 
ant grief  of  Micah,  seems  to  point  to  that  same  region 
and  so  to  strengthen  our  belief  that  the  home  of  the  prophet 
was  on  the  western  slope  of  the  hills  of  Judah.  Amos 
had  lived  less  than  twenty  miles  away,  on  the  other  side 
of  the  range  of  hills.  But  whereas  Amos  had  been  sur- 
rounded by  rocky  and  barren  wastes,  Micah  lived  in  the 
midst  of  most  fertile  fields.  It  is  as  the  tiller  of  these 
fields  and  as  one  thoroughly  acquainted  with  all  the 
beauties  of  the  country  landscape  and  the  simple  joys  of 
rustic  life,  that  Micah  comes  before  us.  He  speaks  as 
a  peasant  pleading  the  cause  of  fellow-peasants  against 
the  rich  oppressor.  He  measures  the  urban  culture  by 
the  uncompromising  standards  of  the  country-side  and 
pronounces  it  wanting. 

160 


INTRODUCTION 


Micah  was  fearless  and  outspoken  in  his  criticism  of  the 
rulers  and  the  rich.  This  boldness  of  utterance  seems  to 
have  made  a  deep  impression,  for  his  example  was  cited 
in  defence  of  Jeremiah's  prophetic  freedom  a  century 
later;  Jer.  26  :  i8.  He  was  bound  by  few  traditions  and 
no  conventions.  He  saw  beneath  the  glitter  and  polish 
of  the  city  and  discerned  the  underlying  injustice  and 
vice.  He  unflinchingly  exposed  corruption  and  dared  to 
threaten  the  capital  city  itself  with  destruction  on  account 
of  its  sins.  His  was  a  task  from  which  any  man  might 
well  shrink.  But  for  Micah  the  voice  of  duty  was  the 
voice  of  God.  We  have  no  record  of  any  vision  or  trance 
in  his  experience.  The  prophetic  fire  was  kindled  in  him 
by  the  contemplation  of  his  country's  ills. 

III.  The  Times  of  Micah 

I.    THE  DATE 

The  superscription  (1:1)  places  Micah  "in  the  days  of 
Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah."  This  statement,  like  those 
in  Hos.  I :  i  and  Isa.  1:1,  is  probably  of  late  origin. 
But  from  Jer.  26 :  18  we  learn  that  "Micah  the  Morashtite 
was  prophesying  in  the  days  of  Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah." 
It  is  hardly  likely  that  Micah  prophesied  in  the  reign  of 
Jotham  or  in  the  early  part  of  the  reign  of  Ahaz,  for  he  is 
wholly  silent  regarding  the  great  catastrophe  of  735  to 
734,  involving  the  invasion  of  the  North  by  Tiglath-pileser 
and  the  depopulating  of  the  regions  beyond  Jordan 
(2  Kings  15 :  29).  This  silence  would  be  inexplicable  if 
Micah  had  prophesied  as  a  contemporary  of  those  events. 

For  more  definite  information  concerning  the  time  of 
Micah's  work,  we  turn  to  chaps.  1-3.  The  very  first 
prophecy  (i :  2-9)  deals  with  the  coming  destruction  of 

M  l6l 


INTRODUCTION 


Samaria,  with  which  imminent  danger  to  Jerusalem  is 
connected.  This  seems,  of  course,  to  require  the  dating 
of  Micah  before  the  fall  of  Samaria,  which  happened  in 
721  B.C.  But  nowhere,  either  in  Assyrian  or  Biblical 
records,  is  there  any  suggestion  of  danger  to  Jerusalem  and 
Judah  in  721  B.C.  Isaiah  did  not  anticipate  any  trouble 
for  Judah  at  that  time.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Samaria  was 
not  destroyed  in  721  B.C.  Neither  in  the  Old  Testament 
nor  in  Sargon's  own  narrative  is  there  any  mention  of  a 
destruction  of  Samaria.  On  the  contrary,  Sargon  says, 
^'more  than  before  I  caused  it  to  be  inhabited."  Far 
from  being  annihilated,  Samaria  was  found  among  the 
enemies  of  Sargon  in  720  B.C.  New  colonies  were  planted 
in  the  province  by  Sargon  in  715  B.C.  and  later  by  Esar- 
haddon  and  Ashurbanipal  (Ezra  4 :  2,  9,  10).  An  Assyrian 
governor  was  resident  in  the  city  as  late  as  645  B.C.  It 
is,  therefore,  by  no  means  necessary  to  limit  the  period 
for  Micah's  appearance  by  the  year  721  B.C. 

The  message  of  Micah  may  have  been  called  forth  by 
the  situation  at  the  time  of  Ashdod's  revolt  against  Sargon 
in  7 13-7 1 1  B.C.,  or  by  the  crisis  at  the  time  of  Sennach- 
erib's invasion  in  701  B.C.  It  is  not  at  all  improbable 
that  Samaria  was  involved  in  both  of  these  rebellions. 
The  materials  in  chaps.  1-3  seem  to  belong  to  one  period, 
in  that  they  reflect  similar  conditions  throughout,  and 
in  view  of  the  section  i :  10-16,  which  seems  to  lay  out  a 
line  of  march  for  Sennacherib's  army,  it  is  reasonable  to 
interpret  these  chapters  as  called  forth  by  that  great 
occasion. 

2.    HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND   OF   CHAPS.    I-3 

From  715  to  701  B.C.,  the  political  situation  in  Judah 
was  one  of  turmoil.     Assyria  was  in  control  of  Judah  and 

162 


INTRODUCTION 


of  Syria  as  a  whole.  Her  dominion  involved  the  pay- 
ment of  heavy  tribute  by  the  subject  peoples.  The  free- 
dom-loving mountaineers  of  Judah  fretted  under  the 
heavy  burden.  Syria  at  large  was  restless.  Egypt,  the 
nearest  neighbor  on  the  south  and  always  eager  to  control 
Syria,  was  constantly  adding  fuel  to  the  flame  of  discon- 
tent, in  the  hope  of  involving  Assyria,  her  ancient  rival, 
in  such  difficulties  as  would  furnish  Egypt  herself  oppor- 
tunity to  supplant  Assyria  in  the  control  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean coast  lands.  The  Ethiopian  Shabaka  founded 
a  new  dynasty  in  Eg3^t  in  712  and  brought  that  nation 
into  a  condition  that  rendered  her  a  much  more  formidable 
foe  for  Assyria  than  she  had  hitherto  been.  Jerusalem 
under  Hezekiah  was  inevitably  drawn  into  the  political 
whirlpool.  Conflicting  parties  arose  in  Judah,  particu- 
larly pro-Assyrian  and  pro-Egyptian  groups.  Not- 
withstanding the  influence  of  the  prophet  Isaiah,  the  influ- 
ence of  Egypt  prevailed  in  Syria's  councils,  and  revolt 
*  was  organized  in  Philistia  in  713  and  in  Judah  in  705  B.C. 
But  it  was  all  of  no  avail.  Assyria  speedily  broke  down  all 
opposition,  and  the  little  peoples  wTre  more  helplessly  in 
her  power  than  ever. 

Social  and  economic  conditions  in  Judah  at  this  time 
were  much  like  those  in  Israel  as  reflected  in  the  prophecy 
of  Amos.  Notwithstanding,  the  heavy  burden  of  taxation 
did  not  prevent  the  accumulation  of  wealth.  Sennacherib 
thus  records  the  plunder  carried  away  by  him  from  Jeru- 
salem in  701  B.C. :  ''Thirty  talents  of  gold,  eight  hundred 
talents  of  silver,  precious  stones,  .  .  .  large  lapis  lazuli, 
couches  of  ivory,  thrones  of  elephant  skin  and  ivory, 
ivory,  ushu  and  urkarinu  woods  of  every  kind,  and  his 
daughters,  his  palace- women,  male  and  female  singers,  to 
Nineveh,  my  royal  city,  I  caused  to  be  brought  after  me." 

163 


INTRODUCTION 


This  is  not  an  inventory  of  the  possessions  of  a  poverty- 
stricken  nation. 

The  wealth  of  Judah,  however,  was  not  generally  dis- 
tributed. It  was  in  the  hands  of  a  relatively  small  class. 
Nor  was  this  aristocracy  of  wealth  content  with  its  hold- 
ings. The  passion  for  riches  had  taken  hold  upon  them. 
Everything  had  to  give  way  to  the  attainment  of  this  end. 
Justice,  righteousness,  and  mercy  find  no  place  for  them- 
selves. The  processes  of  law  are  made  to  work  to  the 
advantage  of  the  rich  as  over  against  the  poor.  Judges 
sell  their  decisions  (3:11).  The  defenceless  poor  are 
deprived  of  their  homesteads  that  the  estates  of  the  rich 
may  be  enlarged  (2  :  2,  9).  No  measures  are  too  extreme 
in  the  mad  race  for  wealth  (3 :  1-3).  Even  the  ministers 
of  religion  are  carried  away  by  the  craze  and  flatter  the 
rich,  while  they  denounce  the  poor  (3  :  5  ff.,  11). 

Materialism  and  commercialism  bade  fair  to  drive  all 
respect  for  human  rights  from  the  field.  The  desire  for 
power  and  display  was  stronger  than  the  longing  for  nobil- 
ity of  character  and  beauty  of  soul.  The  ideal  of  the 
simple  life  which  had  been  inherited  from  the  nomadic 
ancestors  was  being  crowded  out  by  the  lust  for  place  and 
prestige.  In  the  rush  for  the  coveted  prizes,  the  poor 
and  weak  were  being  ruthlessly  trampled  under  foot. 
Their  cry  arose  to  heaven,  whence  came  in  return  the  call 
to  Micah  to  step  forward  fearlessly  as  the  spokesman  and 
champion  of  the  rights  of  the  poor  and  the  supremacy  of 
the  claims  of  Jehovah  upon  the  life. 

3.    THE  BACKGROUND  OF  CHAPS.   4-7 

In  passing  from  chap.  3  to  chap.  4  of  Micah,  we  enter  a 
new  world,  or  rather  a  series  of  them.    For  the  most 

164 


INTRODUCTION 


part,  the  occurrence  of  the  Exile  is  presupposed.  The 
gaze  is  on  the  whole  toward  the  future  and  the  attitude 
is  one  of  hope.  The  shortcomings  of  the  present  are  both 
in  the  moral  and  the  religious  sphere.  Idolatry  is  practised 
and  cheating  and  lying  are  prevalent.  But  not  enough 
details  are  given  to  enable  us  to  place  much  of  this  material 
at  any  specific  period  in  the  exiHc  or  post-exilic  age.  Nor  is 
it  possible  to  determine  with  any  degree  of  assurance  that 
the  bulk  of  it  belongs  to  any  one  age.  It  may  easily 
have  come  together  as  the  result  of  a  slow  process  of 
accretion  covering  many  generations.  No  definite  por- 
trayal of  a  specific  historical  background  for  the  whole  of 
chaps.  4-7  is  at  all  possible.  What  may  be  ventured  with 
regard  to  the  individual  sections  of  these  prophecies 
will  be  found  in  the  commentary  upon  these  chapters. 

IV.   The  Message  of  Micah 

The  social  note,  so  prominent  in  Amos,  is  struck  again 
by  Micah.  It  is  the  theme  everywhere  present,  upon 
which  new  variations  are  continually  wrought  out.  The 
thought  of  Micah  is  not  new ;  yet  he  is  much  more  than 
a  mere  repeater  of  other  men's  words.  He  speaks  as  a 
peasant  in  behalf  of  peasants.  The  wrongs  of  his  neigh- 
bors are  his  own  wrongs.  He  has  toiled  and  suffered, 
hoped  and  prayed  with  the  men  of  his  community.  They 
are  all  bound  together  by  the  fellowship  of  labor  and  pain. 
Micah's  message  reflects  this  common  experience.  His 
whole  being  quivers  with  feeling.  There  is  nothing  of  the 
detached  attitude  of  Amos;  we  are  reminded  rather  of 
the  personal  passion  of  Hosea. 

Micah  was  confronted  by  a  religious  attitude  on  the 
part  of  the  ruling  classes  which  made  all  his  work  diflficult. 

165 


INTRODUCTION 


It  was  essentially  the  same  as  that  with  which  Amos  had 
had  to  contend.  Its  most  definite  formulation  is  furnished 
by  Mic.  3:11,  viz.  ^'Is  not  Jehovah  in  the  midst  of  us? 
Disaster  cannot  befall  us."  This  absolute  assurance  of 
the  favor  of  Jehovah  toward  Judah  obstructed  the  way 
for  the  entrance  of  any  far-reaching  ethical  truth.  It 
represented  an  air-tight  conservatism  in  religion,  the 
preservation  of  which  would  have  made  all  religious 
progress  impossible.  Its  presupposition  was  that  Judah 
was  doing  all  that  could  reasonably  be  required  in  the 
service  of  Jehovah.  Were  not  his  offerings  and  sacrifices 
being  faithfully  sustained?  Was  not  every  ritualistic 
obligation  zealously  discharged  ?  Yea,  was  not  the  letter 
of  both  ritual  and  moral  law  sedulously  observed?  The 
prescribed  round  of  duties,  as  they  themselves  had  de- 
fined it,  was  being  daily  fulfilled. 

Micah  ran  athwart  this  smug,  complacent  attitude  of 
mind  with  a  more  vital  conception  of  God.  He  presented 
the  claim  of  Jehovah  upon  his  people  as  far  more  compre- 
hensive and  searching  than  they  were  willing  to  admit. 
To  fulfil  these  stereotyped  obligations  of  ritual  and  morals 
was  not  enough  to  guarantee  the  divine  favor.  Jehovah 
was  a  just  and  righteous  God  and  demanded  justice  and 
righteousness  on  the  part  of  his  worshippers.  Nor  could 
this  justice  be  content  with  mere  conformity  to  legal 
requirements.  It  insisted  upon  a  full  recognition  of 
human  rights  as  such.  A  legality  that  made  it  possible 
for  the  rich  to  exploit  the  poor  was  abhorrent  to  Jehovah. 
To  Micah  the  rustic,  the  luxury  and  vice  of  the  city, 
involving  as  it  did  the  poverty  and  degradation  of  the 
peasant,  was  the  most  terrible  offence  in  the  sight  of 
Jehovah  (1:5).  He  demands  such  a  conception  of  jus- 
tice between  man  and  man  as  will  enable  each  to  live  his 

166 


INTRODUCTION 


own  life  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  all  the  privileges  and 
blessings  to  which  his  industry  and  ability  entitle  him. 

Seeing  no  possibility  of  the  establishment  of  such  an 
ideal  state  of  society  under  existing  conditions,  Micah 
sees  no  escape  from  the  execution  of  the  wrath  of  Jehovah 
upon  his  people.  That  punishment  will  affect  the  whole 
country-side,  but  it  will  fall  with  terrific  force  upon  Samaria 
and  Jerusalem  (i :  6 ;  3:12).  These  two  cities  are  to 
be  razed  to  the  ground.  This  announcement  is  proof  of 
the  courage  and  independence  of  Micah.  Never  before 
had  a  prophet  threatened  Jerusalem  with  destruction. 
Such  a  catastrophe  had  been  unthinkable.  Was  not 
Jehovah's  temple  there  ?  Could,  or  would,  Jehovah  aban- 
don his  own  sanctuary  to  desecration  and  destruction  at 
the  hands  of  the  enemy  ?  For  Micah,  Jehovah's  interest 
in  the  establishment  and  enforcement  of  justice  and 
right  was  far  greater  than  his  interest  in  any  institution, 
even  his  own  temple. 

It  is  to  be  remembered,  however,  that  to  Micah's  mind 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  did  not  necessarily  mean 
the  end  of  the  nation.  For  him,  an  inhabitant  of  the  rural 
hillside,  the  destinies  of  the  nation  were  not  bound  up 
with  the  fate  of  the  city.  He  may  very  well  have  thought 
of  the  future  of  his  people  as  being  in  the  hands  of  the 
country  people.  Certainly,  whatever  form  his  hope  for 
the  future  may  have  taken,  he  had  such  a  hope.  His 
thought  of  God  was  not  so  broad  and  so  detached  from 
his  own  personal  interests  as  to  have  made  it  possible 
for  him  to  conceive  of  the  total  and  final  separation  of 
Jehovah  from  his  people.  Indeed,  no  prophet  ever  arrived 
at  that  stage  of  thought.  For  all  of  them  the  bond 
between  Jehovah  and  Israel  was  indissoluble  and  eternal. 
But  Micah  has  left  no  record  of  the  character  of  his  con- 

167 


INTRODUCTION 


ception  of  the  future.  The  message  needed  in  his  day  was 
not  one  of  hope  and  peace,  but  one  of  denunciation  and 
threat. 

The  preaching  of  Micah  evidently  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion. It  was  remembered  a  hundred  years  later,  and 
his  experience  was  turned  to  good  advantage  in  saving 
Jeremiah  from  the  wrath  of  his  foes  (Jer.  26 :  i8).  It 
was  remembered,  indeed,  precisely  because  of  the  courage 
and  daring  it  reflected.  The  astonishing  prediction  of 
the  utter  destruction  of  Jerusalem  could  not  be  forgotten. 

The  strength  of  Micah's  message  is  attested  in  still 
another  way ;  viz.,  by  the  accretions  it  received  from  time 
to  time.  The  message  of  Micah  could  not  be  left  unmodi- 
fied and  unchallenged.  The  last  recorded  word  of  a 
prophet  of  Jehovah  could  not  be  allowed  to  stand  as  an 
oracle  of  disaster.  Hence  later  prophetic  editors,  at  various 
times,  added  to  the  words  of  Micah  words  of  their  own, 
intended  either  as  interpretations  of  Micah's  standpoint 
or  as  supplementary  prophecies,  furnishing  the  vision  of 
Messianic  glory  that  was  wholly  lacking  in  the  original 
message.  These  later  additions  are  not  to  be  depreciated 
because  they  were  late.  Some  of  them  are  equal  in  beauty 
of  expression,  depth  of  insight,  and  knowledge  of  truth  to 
the  best  that  is  in  Micah's  own  words.  Those  who  seek 
for  a  correct  diagnosis  of  the  essence  of  true  religion  must 
always  turn  to  the  splendid  utterance  in  Mic.  6:6-8. 
And  reading  this  and  other  similar  words,  we  shall  be 
protected  from  the  common  error  of  supposing  that  all 
creative  religious  thought  came  to  an  end  with  the  Exile. 


168 


INTRODUCTION 


V.  Literature  upon  the  Book  of  Micah 

Smith,  J.  M.  Powis.  A  Critical  and  Exegetical  Commen- 
tary on  the  Book  of  Micah  [International  ^Critical 
Commentary]  (191 1). 

Smith,  Geo.  Adam.  The  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets, 
Vol  I  (1896). 

Cheyne,  T.  K.  Micah,  with  Notes  and  Introduction 
[Cambridge  Bible]  (1882). 

Margolis,  M.  L.  Micah  (The  Holy  Scriptures,  with 
Commentary,  1908). 

HoRTON,  R.  F.  The  Minor  Prophets  [The  New  Cen- 
tury Bible]  (1904)- 

Smith,  W.  Robertson.  The  Prophets  of  Israel  and  their 
Place  in  History,  2d  ed.  (1895). 

Kent,  C.  F.  Sermons,  Epistles,  and  Apocalypses  of 
Israel's  Prophets  [Student's  Old  Testament,  Vol. 
Ill]  (1910). 

Robinson,  H.  W.  Article  "Micah"  in  Encyclopaedia 
Britannica  (nth  ed.). 

Driver,  S.  R.  Introduction  to  the  Literature  of  the  Old 
Testament  (1910). 

CoRNiLL,  C.  H.  Introduction  to  the  Canonical  Books  of 
the  Old  Testament  (1907). 

Fowler,  H.  T.  A  History  of  the  Literature  of  Ancient 
Israel  (191 2). 

Budde,  K.     The  Religion  of  Israel  to  the  Exile  (1899). 

Marti,  K.     The  Religion  of  the  Old  Testament  (1907). 

CoRNiLL,  C.  H.     The  Prophets  of  Israel  (1897). 

Gray,  G.  B.    Article   ''Book    of   Micah,"   in   Hastings, 
A  Dictionary  of  the  Bible  (1909). 
169 


INTRODUCTION 


Gray,  G  B.  A  Critical  Introduction  to  the  Old  Testa- 
ment (1913). 

Moore,  G.  F.  The  Literature  of  the  Old  Testament 
[Home  University  Library  of  Modern  Knowledge] 

(1913). 


170 


A   COMMENTARY   ON    THE 
BOOK   OF   MICAH 

I.  The  Superscription  i  :  i 

1.  The  word  of  the  Lord  that  came  ^  to  Micah  the 
Morashtite  ^  in  the  days  of  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Heze- 
kiah,  kings  of  Judah,  which  he  saw  concerning  Samaria 
and  Jerusalem. 

11.  The  Doom  of  Israel,  i  :  2-9 

2.  Hear,  ye  peoples,  all  of  you ;  ^ 

Hearken,  O  earth,  and  all  that  therein  is :  ^ 
And  let  the  Lord  God  be  witness  against  you,^ 
the  Lord  from  his  holy  temple. 

1  Gr.  and  the  word  of  the  Lord  came.  2  Syr.  and  Tg.  from  Mareshah.  '  Gr.  peoples 
words.      *  Heh.  its  fulness.      ^  m.  among. 

1.  Micah;  a  name  meaning,  "who  is  like  Jehovah?" 
Morashtite ;  i.e.  a  native  of  Moresheth ;  cf.  i :  14.  In  the  days 
of  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah;  we  have  no  prophecies  of  Micah 
from  the  days  of  Jotham.  His  main  activity  was  certainly  in  the 
reign  of  Hezekiah;  cf.  Jer.  26:18.  See  Introduction,  §  III. 
Which  he  saw ;  equivalent  to  prophesied;  saw  marks  the  revealed 
character  of  the  prophet's  message. 

The  superscription  is  probably  from  an  editorial  pen,  perhaps 
the  same  that  wrote  the  superscriptions  to  Isaiah  and  Hosea. 
The  only  point  at  which  its  accuracy  need  be  questioned  is  the 
statement  regarding  the  date  of  Micah's  work. 

2.  Ye  peoples,  i.e.  all  the  peoples  of  the  earth,  as  is  shown  by 
the  parallel  address  to  the  earth.  The  nations  are  summoned  to 
witness  Israel's  judgment  since  from  it  they  may  take  warning 
to  themselves.  Witness  against  you,  i.e.  the  condemnation  of 
Israel  will  appeal  to  the  conscience  of  the  heathen,  who  know 
themselves  to  be  even  more  guilty  than  Israel.     His  holy  temple, 

171 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


3.  For,  behold,  the  Lord  cometh  forth  out  of  his  place, 

and  will  come  down,  and  tread  ^  upon  the  high 
places  of  the  earth. 

4.  ""And  the  mountains  shall  be  molten  under  him, 

and  the  valleys  shall  be  cleft,^ 
As  wax  before  the  fire, 

as  waters  that  are  poured  down  a  steep  place. 

5.  For  the  transgression  of  Jacob  is  all  this, 

and  for  the  sins  ^  of  the  house  of  Israel. 
What   is   the    transgression    of    Jacob?     is    it    not 
Samaria  ? 
and  what  are  the  high  places  ^  of  Judah  ?  are  they 
not  Jerusalem  ? 

6.  Therefore  I  will  make  Samaria  as  an  heap  ^  of  the 

field, 
and  as  the  plantings  of  a  vineyard : 

1  Gr.  omits  and  tread.  2  Gr.  and  the  mountains  will  be  shattered  under  him  and  the 
valleys  melted.  ^  Gr.  and  Tg.  sin.  ^  Syr.  is  the  sin.  Gr.  and  Tg.  is  the  sin  of  the 
house.      6  Gr.  the  hut  of  a  watcher.    Syr.  a  country-house. 

i.e.  his  heavenly  dwelling,  not  the  temple  in  Jerusalem,  as  is  shown 
by  vss.  3,  4. 

3-4.  A  description  of  Jehovah's  manifestation  of  himself  in 
punitive  wrath.  The  imagery  is  based  upon  the  observance  of 
earthquakes  or  volcanic  eruptions. 

5.  Jacob  is  the  Northern  Kingdom.  Israel  should  probably 
be  changed  to  Judah,  in  view  of  the  latter  part  of  the  verse  where 
Samaria  and  Jerusalem  are  parallel.  Is  it  not  Samaria?  As  the 
headquarters  of  all  the  corruption  of  the  nation,  the  capital  city 
is  named  as  representative  of  Israel's  sin.  What  are  the  high 
places  of  Judah?  This  must  be  changed  with  the  Syriac  (cf.  the 
Greek  and  Targum)  to  what  is  the  sin  of  Judah?  High  places 
were  not  especially  characteristic  of  Jerusalem;  the  parallelism 
with  "  transgression  "  calls  for  "  sin  "  ;  and  Micah  was  concerned 
with  social  wrongs  rather  than  with  matters  of  ritual.  As  a 
dweller  in  the  country,  Micah  was  shocked  by  the  vice  and 
injustice  of  the  cities  and  realized  too  their  baneful  influence  upon 
the  country  as  a  whole. 

6.  The  destruction  here  foretold  is  to  be  total.     Such  a  fate 

172 


THE   BOOK  OF  MICAH 


And  I  will  pour  down  the  stones  thereof  into  the 
valley/ 
and  I  will  discover  the  foundations  thereof. 
7.   And  all  her  graven  images  shall  be  beaten  to  pieces, 
and  all  her  hires  shall  be  burned  with  fire, 
and  all  her  idols  will  I  lay  desolate : 
For  of  the  hire  of  an  harlot  hath  she  gathered  them,^ 
and  unto  the  hire  of  an  harlot  shall  they  return. 

1  Gr.  to  chaos.    Vg.  like  a  stone-pile  in  a  field.       2  Syr.,  Tg.  and  Vg.  have  they  been 

gathered. 

did  not  befall  Samaria  till  the  days  of  John  Hyrcanus  (Josephus, 
Antiquities,  XIII,  10,  §  3),  who  destroyed  it  in  109  B.C.  The 
plantings  of  a  vineyard,  i.e.  a  planted  vineyard.  This  was  the 
kind  of  ground  least  apt  to  be  used  for  building  purposes,  because 
of  the  great  amount  of  work  and  loss  involved  in  the  removal  of 
the  vines.  Into  the  valley ;  Samaria  was  on  a  hill  (i  Kings  16  :  24). 
Discover,  i.e.  uncover  or  lay  bare. 

7.  This  verse  has  been  added  to  Micah's  prophecy  by  an 
editor  who  interpreted  the  destruction  of  Samaria  as  a  judgment 
upon  idolatry.  The  vs.  interrupts  the  connection  between  vs.  6 
and  vs.  8  ;  the  lamentation  of  vs.  8  is  not  on  account  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  idols  described  in  vs.  7,  but  because  of  the  picture  pre- 
sented in  vs.  6.  Furthermore,  Micah's  grievance  was  against  the 
perversion  of  the  social  order ;  it  is  therefore  unlikely  that  he  would 
make  idolatry  the  chief  reason  for  the  fall  of  Samaria,  as  is  done  in 
vs.  7. 

The  idolatry  of  Samaria  is  a  favorite  topic  in  later  proph- 
ecies; cf.  Isa.  2:20;  10:10  f . ;  27:9  f . ;  30:22;  31:7. 
Her  hires ;  better,  her  images.  Burning  is  hardly  a  natural 
process  to  apply  to  wages  ;  but  it  fits  images  admirably,  whether 
made  of  solid  metal  or  of  wooden  cores,  overlaid  with  metal. 
This  gives  three  words  for  "  idol  "  in  this  verse ;  but  Hebrew 
possesses  at  least  twelve.  For  of  the  hire  of  an  harlot  has  she 
gathered  them ;  not  that  prostitution  was  the  source  of  the  many 
images,  but  that  the  prosperity  ascribed  to  the  favor  of  the 
Baalim  made  them  possible;  cf.  Hos.  2:  5.  And  unto  the  hire 
of  an  harlot  shall  they  return ;  we  may  not  ask  a  poet  how  idols 
that  have  been  broken  and  burned  could  again  be  used  for  har- 
lot's hire;  cf.  Job  1:21.  He  may  be  thinking  of  the  fact  that 
the  conquering  nation  will  carry  off  the  idols  of  Samaria  and 
present  them  as  trophies  before  its  own  gods. 

173 


i:8  THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


8.  For  this  will  I  wail  ^  and  howl, 

I  will  go  stripped  and  naked : 
I  will  make  a  wailing  like  the  jackals, 
and  a  mourning  like  the  ostriches. 

9.  For  her  wounds  are  ^  incurable: 

for  it  is  come  even  unto  Judah ; 
It  reacheth  unto  the  gate  of  my  people, 
even  to  Jerusalem. 


III.  Lamentation  over  Israel's  Doom,  i  :  10-16 

10.   Tell  it  not  in  Gath,^ 
weep  not  at  all :  ^ 
At  Beth-le-Aphrah  ^  have  I  rolled  myself  ®  in  the  dust. 

*  Gr.  has  all  verbs  of  this  vs.  in  3d  pers.  sing.,  Syr.  in  2d  pers.  sing.,  and  Tg.  in  3d 
pers.  plur.  2  q^^  Syr.,  Vg.  and  Tg.  her  wound  is.  ^  Gr.  Those  in  Gath,  do  not 

enlarge.     Syr.  do  not  rejoice.        *  Gr.  those  in  Akeim,  do  not  build.        ^  Gr.  from  house 
mockeries.    Syr.  in  Beth-ophrah.        ^  Gr.,  Syr.  and  Vg.  roll  yourselves. 

8.  For  this  ;  viz.  the  downfall  of  Samaria,  which,  of  course,  not 
only  appealed  to  the  prophet  as  an  Israelite  interested  deeply  in 
the  fate  of  the  whole  people  but  also  because  disaster  to  Samaria 
did  but  bring  nearer  the  day  of  calamity  to  Jerusalem.  Stripped 
and  naked ;  better,  barefoot  and  stripped,  i.e.  in  the  garb  of  a 
mourner  or  a  captive  ;  cf.  2  Sam.  15  :  30  ;  Isa.  20  :  2-4.  Assyrian 
bas-reliefs  represent  captives  totally  devoid  of  clothing ;  but  the 
language  here  may  imply  merely  the  discarding  of  the  outer 
garment.  Mourning  like  the  ostriches ;  the  cry  of  this  bird  is  a 
hideous  screech. 

9.  Her  wounds  are  incurable  ;  rather,  her  wound  is  incurable, 
as  in  the  versions.  The  prophet  is  referring  to  the  disasters  of 
721  B.C.  and  the  following  3^ears  (see  Introduction,  §  III),  as  full 
warrant  for  his  grief.  For  it  is  come  even  unto  Judah;  this  is 
the  climax  of  his  sorrow.  The  gate  of  my  people ;  the  central 
market  of  Judah  and  the  seat  of  the  highest  legal  authority,  hence 
the  natural  gathering  place  of  the  clans.  Even  to  Jerusalep; 
the  situation  before  the  prophet  is  probably  that  of  the  invasion 
by  Sennacherib  in  701  B.C.,  when  Jerusalem  seemed  threatened  by 
the  same  fate  that  had  overtaken  Samaria  in  721  B.C. 

The  section  i  :  10-16  is  the  most  obscure  and  difficult  in  the 
whole  book  of  Micah.     This  is  largely  due  to  the  uncertainty  of 

174 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


11.  Pass  ye  away/  O  inhabitant  ^of  Shaphir,-  in  naked- 

ness^ and  shame : 
The  inhabitant  of  Zaanan  is  not  come  forth ; 

the  wailing  of  Beth-ezel  *  shall  take  from  you  the 
stay  thereof.^ 

12.  For  the  inhabitant  of  Maroth  waiteth  anxiously  for 

good :  ^ 

^  Gr.  your  mockeries.  Syr.  serve  for  thyself.  ~  Gr.  the  one  dwelling  beautifully ;  Vg. 
beautiful  habitation.  ^  Gr.  her  cities,  and  omits  and  shame.  *  Gr.  (come  forth)  to 
mourn  the  house  next  to  her.  *  m.  its  statiding  place.     Gr.  from  you  a  plague  of  pain. 

Vg.from  you  what  stood  for  itself.  Syr.  from  you  its  blow.  ®  m.  for  .  .  .  is  in  travail 
for  good.  Gr.  who  began  for  good  to  the  one  inhabiting  pains?  Vg.  because  the  one 
dwelling  in  bitterness  is  weakened  for  good.  Syr.  because  the  inhabitant  is  weakened  for 
good  and  has  rebelled. 

the  text,  some  suggestion  of  which  is  afforded  by  the  foregoing 
array  of  variant  readings. 

10.  Tell  it  not  in  Gath ;  a  quotation  from  2  Sam.  i :  20,  which 
indicates  at  the  start  the  mournful  character  of  this  oracle. 
Weep  not  at  all ;  this,  if  correct,  must  be  ironical  or  sarcastic. 
But  it  is  probably  an  error  for  an  earlier  reading  which  contained 
the  name  of  a  town  corresponding  to  Gath ;  perhaps,  in  Baca, 
weep  bitterly.  Baca  was  a  portion  of  the  valley  southwest  of 
Jerusalem  in  the  direction  of  Bethlehem.  Beth-le-Aphrah  is 
otherwise  unknown  and  furnishes  an  isolated  case  of  names  of 
this  formation.  Perhaps  we  should  change  to  Beth-ophrah,  with 
the  Syriac  and  Theodotion.  Have  I  rolled  myself  in  the  dust; 
the  first  person  seems  out  of  place  here,  occurring  not  again  until 
vs.  15,  where  it  is  representative  of  Jehovah.  It  is  better  to  read 
with  the  versions,  roll  yourselves;  this  is  an  action  expressive  of 
the  most  extreme  grief. 

11.  Shaphir  is  most  probably  identified  with  Sawafir,  to  the 
southeast  of  Ashdod.  The  captives  from  this  town  will  pass 
away  into  exile,  recognizable  as  captives  by  all  on  account  of 
their  nakedness ;  cf.  note  on  i :  8.  Zaanan  is  perhaps  the  same 
as  Zenan  (Josh.  15:  37),  in  the  Shephelah.  Is  not  come  forth, 
i.e.  is  shut  up  within  its  walls,  afraid  to  venture  out.  The  wailing ; 
this  is  hard  to  interpret  with  the  following  words  and  perhaps 
represents  some  word  for  fortress,  or  the  like,  whence  the  citizens 
of  Zaanan  do  not  come  forth.  Of  Beth-ezel  shall  take  from  you 
the  stay  thereof ;  this  with  the  preceding  wailing  yields  no  satis- 
factory meaning.  Taking  *  wailing '  with  the  previous  sentence, 
we  may  restore  the  remainder,  with  slight  diflSiculty,  thus,  Beth-ezel 

175 


i:i3  THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


because  evil  is  come  down  from  the  Lord  unto  the 
gate  ^  of  Jerusalem. 

13.  Bind  the  chariot  ^  to  the  swift  steed,^  O  inhabitant 

of  Lachish : 
she  was  the  beginning  of  sin  to  the  daughter  of  Zion ; 
for  the  transgressions  of  Israel  were  found  in  thee. 

14.  Therefore  shalt  thou  give  a  parting  gift  to  More- 

sheth-gath.4 
The  houses  of  Achzib  ^  shall  be  a  deceitful  thing 
unto  the  kings  of  Israel. 

1  Gr.,  Syr.  and  Tg.  gates.  2  Gr.  and  Vg.  a  noise  of  chariots.  '  Gr.  and  of  riders. 
Vg.  of  stupor.  4  Gr.  and  Vg.  he  will  give  emissaries  as  far  as  the  inheritance  of  Gath. 
6  Gr.,  Syr.  and  Vg.  of  deceit. 

is  taken  from  its  site ;  i.e.  is  razed  to  the  ground.     Its  location  is 
unknown,  for  it  is  nowhere  else  mentioned. 

12.  For  the  inhabitant  of  Maroth,  etc.;  better,  with  a  little 
change  of  text,  How  has  the  inhabitant  of  Maroth  hoped  for  good! 
But  all  to  no  purpose,  for  evil,  i.e.  disaster,  has  come  down  from 
the  Lord  unto  the  gate  of  Jerusalem.  Hence,  Maroth,  which 
is  otherwise  unknown,  must  have  been  not  far  removed  from 
Jerusalem.  The  prophet  is  picturing  the  onward  march  of  an 
invading  army  as  it  passes  from  point  to  point,  leaving  ruin  in  its 
trail. 

13.  Flight  is  urged  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Lachish,  which 
was  situated  sixteen  miles  northeast  of  Gaza  and  two  miles  south 
of  Eglon.  As  a  frontier  fortress,  it  was  a  place  of  great  strategic 
importance  to  Judah.  She  was  the  beginning  of  sin  to  the 
daughter  of  Zion ;  nothing  at  all  is  known  as  to  the  reason  for  this 
judgment  regarding  Lachish.  It  may  be  that  this  is  the  prophetic 
opinion  regarding  the  tribute  sent  by  Hezekiah  to  Sennacherib  at 
Lachish  ;  cf.  2  Kings  18  :  14-16.  Israel  here  designates  the  whole 
people  of  which  Judah  was  now  the  more  important  part. 

14.  A  parting  gift  to  Moresheth-gath ;  Judah  is  to  lose  one  of 
her  daughter  villages  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  The  gift  is 
that  bestowed  by  a  parent  upon  his  daughter  when  she  is  married. 
Moresheth-gath  seems  to  have  been  in  the  vicinity  of  Gath, 
hence  near  the  Philistine  border.  Micah's  appellation  '  Morash- 
tite,'  was  probably  due  to  this  having  been  his  home.  If  so,  how 
his  heart  must  have  bled  as  he  foretold  the  fate  of  his  beloved  vil- 
lage !    The  houses  of  Achzib ;  probably  better  Beth-achzih.     Josh. 

176 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


15.  I  will  yet  bring  unto  thee,  O  inhabitant  of  Mareshah 

him  that  shall  possess  thee :  ^ 
the  glory  of  Israel  shall  come  even  unto  Adullam.^ 

16.  Make  thee  bald,  and  poll  thee  for  the  children  of  thy 

delight : 
enlarge  thy  baldness  ^  as  the  eagle ;  ^  for  they  are 
gone  into  captivity  from  thee. 

IV.  The  Wrongs  of  the  Poor,  2:1-11 

2.   Woe  to  them  that  devise^  iniquity  and   work  evil 
upon  their  beds  ! 

1  Gr.  until  they  bring  the  inheritances,  0  inhabitress  of  Lachish;  an  inheritance. 
2  Syr.  even  for  ever.      ^  Gr.  widowhood.       ^  m.  vulture.      ^  Gr.  they  were  devising. 

15  :  44  locates  Achzib  somewhere  in  the  Shephelah  of  Judah,  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Libnah,  Keilah  and  Mareshah.  What  so 
unimportant  a  place  could  have  done  to  warrant  such  a  charge  is 
unknown.  Achzib  and  the  word  for  deceitful  thing,  viz.  Achzab, 
are  so  similar  in  sound  as  to  suggest  that  the  occasion  for  a 
pun  may  have  been  the  prophet's  chief  reason  for  the  charge. 

15.  Mareshah  is  represented  in  Palestine  to-day  either  by 
Merash,  two  miles  south  of  Beit-jibrin  (the  ancient  Eleutheropolis), 
or  by  Tel-Sandahannah,  one  mile  to  the  southeast  of  Merash. 
The  play  on  words  here  is  between  Mareshah,  which  means  a 
possession,  and  yoresh  which  means  a  dispossessor.  The  glory  of 
Israel  shall  come  even  unto  Adullam ;  this  is  exceedingly  difficult 
of  interpretation,  that  usually  adopted  being,  ''  Israel's  nobles 
shall  seek  safety  in  a  cave  "  (cf.  i  Sam.  22:1  ff.).  Adullam  is 
probably  the  modern  Id-el-mije,  six  miles  northeast  of  Beit-jibrin, 
An  attractive  correction  of  the  text  here  yields  the  following 
sense.  The  glory  of  Israel  will  perish  forever. 

16.  Make  thee  bald,  and  poll  thee ;  this  is  in  token  of  mourn- 
ing; cf.  Jer.  31  :  20.  The  children  of  thy  delight;  viz.  the  cities 
and  villages  she  has  lost.  As  the  eagle ;  better  rendered,  the 
vulture,  distinguished  from  the  eagle  by  its  bare  head  and  neck. 
For  they  are  gone  (or,  will  go)  into  captivity  from  thee ;  the 
fate  already  announced  for  Northern  Israel  by  Amos  and  Hosea 
is  now  threatened  for  Judah. 

I.  Them  that  devise  iniquity;  viz.  the  rich,  who  work  out 
all  kinds  of  nefarious  schemes  in  order  to  increase  their  wealth. 

N  177 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


When  the  morning  is  light,  they  practise  it,  because 
it  is  in  the  power  of  their  hand.^ 

2.  And  they  covet  fields,  and  seize  them^  and  houses, 

and  take  them  away : 
and  they  oppress  a  man  and  his  house,  even  a 
man  ^  and  his  heritage. 

3.  Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  : 

Behold,  against  this  family  do  I  devise  an  evil, 
from  which  ye  shall  not  remove  your  necks. 

Neither  shall  ye  walk  haughtily ;  ^ 
for  it  is  an  evil  time. 

4.  In  that  day  shall  they  take  up  a  parable  against  you, 

and  lament  with  a  doleful  lamentation,^  and  say,^ 

1  Gr.  because  they  lifted  not  their  hands  to  God.  Syr.  because  they  lifted  their  hands 
against  God.  Vg.  because  their  hand  is  against  God.  Aquila,  because  his  hand  is  strong. 
2  Syr.  omits  and  seize  the?n.  Gr.  attd  rob  orphans.  ^  Syr.  omits  a  man  and.  *  Gr. 
adds  suddenly.  ^  m.  with  the  lamentation,  It  is  done.  Gr.  and  a  lamentation  will  be 
lamented  in  melody.       «  Gr.  saying.    Vg.  of  those  saying. 

Upon  their  beds,  i.e.  they  lie  awake  at  night  pondering  upon  how 
they  can  get  the  better  of  the  poor.  When  the  mommg  is  light ; 
they  improve  the  earliest  hours  of  daylight  to  put  their  wicked 
plans  into  practice.  Because  it  is  in  the  power  of  their  hand; 
or  better,  because  it  is  in  their  power;  i.e.  they  do  wrong  because 
they  can  do  so  with  impunity. 

2.  They  covet  fields,  and  seize  them;  to  wish  for  them  is  to 
take  them.  Their  desire  knows  no  restraint.  The  prophet  does 
not  detail  the  steps  of  the  process  of  seizure,  e.g.  through  fore- 
closure of  mortgages,  usurious  rates  of  interest,  bribery  of  judges, 
and  the  like.  No  legal  procedure  can  make  right  in  Micah's  eyes 
the  fact  that  his  poor  neighbors  are  being  ousted  from  their  home- 
steads by  the  grasping  rich;  cf.  i  Kings  21 ;  Hos.  5  :  10;  Isa.  5  :  8. 
They  oppress  (or,  crush)  a  man  and  his  house,  etc. ;  his  property 
gone,  home,  family,  and  man,  too,  follow  it  to  ruin. 
_  3.  In  vss.  1-2,  Micah  has  expressed  his  own  judgment  of  the 
sins  of  the  rich.  Now  Jehovah  speaks  in  his  own  person.  Do  I 
devise ;  not  iniquit}^,  as  the  rich  do,  but  an  evil,  i.e.  a  calamity, 
which  will  rest  upon  the  wicked  like  a  heavy  burden,  beneath 
which  they  are  bowed  down  to  the  earth.  For  it  is  an  evil  time ; 
better,  for  it  will  be  a  disastrous  time. 

4.   In  that  day ;   viz.  the  coming  day  of  Jehovah,  when  he  will 
178 


THE   BOOK  OF  MICAH  2:6 


We  be  utterly  spoiled :  he  changeth  ^  the  portion  of 
my  people ; 
how  doth  he  remove  it  ^  from  me  !  ^  to  the  rebel- 
lious he  divideth  ^  our  fields. 

5.  Therefore  thou  shalt  have  none  that  shall  cast  the 

line  by  lot  ^  in  the  congregation  of  the  Lord. 

6.  Prophesy  ye  not,  thus  they  prophesy.^ 

They  shall  not  prophesy  ^  to  these :  ^  reproaches 
shall  not  depart.^ 

1  Gr.  was  measured  by  line;  similarly  Syr.  -  m.  Jiow  doth  he  depart.  Gr.  and  not 
was  there  one  hindering  him  from  departing.  ^  Syr.  omits  from  me.  *  Gr.  were  divided. 
Syr.  with  the  measuring  line.  *  Syr.  none  who  will  measure  by  line  and  divide  by  lot. 
6  m.  prophesy  ye  not,  they  are  ever  prophesying,  say  they.  Gr.  and  Syr.  prophesy  ye  not 
with  tears.  Vg.  prophesy  ye  not,  speaking.  ''  Syr.  you  shall  not  prophesy.  Vg.  he  will 
not  drop.  ^m.  of  these  things;  their  reproaches  never  cease.  *  Vg.  will  not  overtake. 
Syr.  not  overtake  you. 

bring  judgment  upon  the  wicked.  Shall  they  take  up  a  parable 
against  you,  etc. ;  better,  with  some  change  of  text,  a  taunt  song 
will  be  raised  concerning  you  and  a  lament  will  he  wailed,  saying; 
the  observers  of  the  disaster  will  break  out  in  sarcastic  words  of 
triumph  at  the  expense  of  suffering  Judah.  We  be  utterly  spoiled, 
etc. ;  the  text  of  this  latter  part  of  the  vs.  is  in  bad  disorder.  It 
should  probably  be  restored  so  as  to  read,  the  portion  of  my  people 
is  measured  with  the  measuring  line  aiid  there  is  none  to  restore  it; 
to  our  captors  our  land  is  allotted;  we  are  utterly  devastated.  These 
are  words  spoken  by  the  foe,  who  ironically  assume  the  role  of 
suffering  Judah,  speaking  in  the  name  of  her  people.  They 
mourn  over  the  loss  of  their  territory,  which  has  been  seized  by 
the  foe. 

5.  This  vs.  is  best  treated  as  a  later  note  attached  to  Micah's 
words  by  some  reader.  It  has  no  close  connection  with  either 
vs.  4  or  vs.  6 ;  nor  does  it  possess  any  poetical  qualit}',  either  in 
form  or  content,  such  as  would  show  its  allegiance  to  its  context. 
Thou  shalt  have ;  some  individual  or  some  group  within  the 
nation  is  evidently  addressed.  To  cast  the  line  by  lot;  an  ex- 
pression nowhere  else  found.  It  seems  to  refer  to  the  laying  out 
of  the  boundaries  of  landed  property.  There  will  be  no  more  of 
this,  for  the  entire  land  will  have  been  seized  by  the  foe.  The 
congregation  is  here  the  entire  nation. 

6.  Prophesy  ye  not,  etc. ;  this  text  is  in  bad  condition,  being 
but  a  series  of  meaningless  repetitions.     It  is  better  to  correct  it 

179 


2:7 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


7.  Shall  it  be  said,^  O  house  of  Jacob,  Is  the  spirit  of 

the  Lord  straitened  ?  ^  are  these  his  doings  ? 
Do  not  my  words  ^  do  good  to  him  that  walketh 
uprightly  ?  ^ 

8.  But  of  late  ^  my  people  is  risen  up  as  an  enemy : 

ye  strip  the  robe  ^  from  off  the  garment  ^  from  them 
that  pass  by  securely  ^  as  men  averse  from  war.^ 

1  m.  0  thou  that  art  named  the  house  of  Jacob.  Gr.  the  one  saying,  the  house  of  Jacob 
has  angered  the  spirit  of  the  Lord.  2  m,  impatient.  ^  Gr.  my  words.  *  Gr.  do  good 
and  walk  straight.  ^  Heb.  yesterday.  ^  Gr.  his  skin.  '  Gr.  and  Syr.  against  his 
peace.      ^  Gr.  to  take  away  hope.      ^  Gr.  a  ruin  of  war.    Syr.  and  ye  turn  to  war. 


SO  as  to  read,  Do  not  keep  on  prophesying  such  things.  The  op- 
ponents of  the  prophet  bid  him  cease;  they  are  weary  of  his 
message.  Similar  prohibitions  had  met  former  prophets ;  cf . 
Am.  2:12;  5:10;  7:10  ff.  Reproaches  shall  not  depart. 
Shall  it  be  said,  O  house  of  Jacob ;  here  again  the  text  demands 
correction.  The  following  calls  for  the  omission  of  one  word 
found  in  the  Hebrew,  Shame  cannot  overtake  the  house  of  Jacob. 
The  prophet's  opponents  are  still  speaking  and  they  resent  his 
threat  of  destruction  upon  Israel ;  it  is  an  unheard  of  thing ;  cf . 
3:11;  Am.  3:2.  The  phrase  shall  it  be  said  is  better  read  the 
one  speaking  or  the  speaker,  and  regarded  as  a  marginal  note  in- 
tended to  indicate  the  "  house  of  Jacob  "  or  its  representatives 
as  uttering  this  statement. 

7.  Is  the  sphit  of  the  Lord  straitened?  ?.e.  is  Jehovah  impa- 
tient? Do  we  not  know  him  to  be  long-suffering  and  infinite  in 
mercy?  The  prophet's  critics  continue  to  speak.  Are  these  his 
doings?  Would  he  do  such  things  as  you  foretell  ?  By  no  means. 
Do  not  my  words ;  better  his  words.  Do  good  to  him  that  walketh 
uprightly ;  better,  do  good  to  Israel.  The  self-satisfied  people, 
secure  in  the  consciousness  of  Jehovah's  favor  to  his  own  people, 
ask  Micah  if  Jehovah's  words  do  not  always  mean  prosperity 
for  Israel.     Can  any  other  message  be  conceivable? 

8.  The  prophet's  answer  to  the  protest  of  vss.  6  and  7  is  now 
made.  The  Hebrew  text  of  this  verse  is  badly  broken.  A 
literal  rendering  would  give,  formerly  my  people  as  an  enemy 
raised  up  (or,  raised  up  an  enemy)  ;  from  before  a  garment  a  cloak 
ye  strip  from  those  passing  by  (in)  confidence,  returned  from  war. 
Even  this,  with  its  imperfect  sense,  involves  serious  grammatical 
difficulty.  A  better  reading  is,  but  ye  have  become  my  people's 
foe,  ye  rise  up  against  them  that  are  at  peace;  ye  strip  of  from  those 
passing  by  in  confidence  booty  of  war.     These  words  are  addressed 

180 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


9.   The  women  ^  of  my  people  ye  cast  out  from  their 
pleasant  houses ; 
from   their    young   children   ye   take    away^   my 
glory  for  ever.^ 

10.  Arise  ye,  and  depart;    for  this  is  not  your  rest: 

because  of  uncleanness  that  destroyeth,^  even  with 
a  grievous  destruction. 

11.  If  a  man  walking  in  wind  and  falsehood^  do  lie, 

saying,  I  will  prophesy  unto  thee  of  wine  and  of 
strong  drink;  he  shall  even  be  the  prophet^  of 
this  people. 


1  Gr.  those  leading.        2  Gr.  because  the  wicked  works  were  driven  out;  ye  draw  near. 
2  Gr.  to  the  mountains.  *  Qj._  yg  j/^;;  ^g  destroyed.  ^  m.  in  a  spirit  of  falsehood. 

6  Gr.  be  of  the  drop.    Vg.  upon  whom  it  is  dropped. 


to  the  wicked  leaders  of  the  people,  who  are  accused  of  being 
shepherds  who  devour  the  sheep.  They  take  advantage  of  their 
position  to  rob  the  defenceless  and  unsuspecting  public;  cf.  3  :  5. 

9.  The  women  of  my  people,  etc. ;  in  their  lust  for  land  and 
wealth,  they  do  not  shrink  from  driving  women  and  children  out  of 
their  homes  into  beggary  and  starvation.  My  glory ;  probably 
a  term  for  the  fathers  who  as  yeomen  of  Israel  are  the  glory  of 
Jehovah. 

10.  Now  the  prophet  breaks  out  with  the  sentence  of  exile. 
This  is  not  your  rest,  or  resting-place.  Those  who  have  expelled 
others  are  now  in  turn  to  be  expelled  and  that  not  merely  from 
their  homes,  but  from  their  country.  Because  of  uncleanness 
that  destroyeth,  etc. ;  a  better  reading  is,  because  of  uncleanness, 
ye  shall  he  destroyed  ivith,  etc.  Men  who  were  doubtless  rigid  in 
their  adherence  to  the  ritualistic  requirements  of  clean  and  un- 
clean are  here  notified  ,that  because  of  the  uncleanness  of  their 
hearts  destruction  is  coming  upon  them. 

11.  This  vs.  is,  like  vs.  5,  probably  a  later  addition  to  Micah's 
words.  It  lacks  connection  with  the  immediate  context  and  it 
is  not  poetry  in  any  sense,  as  the  context  is.  Walldng  in  wind 
and  falsehood;  or,  in  a  spirit  of  falsehood,  i.e.  one  whose  whole 
conduct  is  false,  upon  whom  no  reliance  can  be  placed.  Of  wine 
and  strong  drink,  i.e.  a  prophet  who  would  promise  an  abundance 
of  sensuous,  materialistic  blessings,  such  as  these,  would  at  once 
be  accepted  as  the  prophet  of  this  people,  without  any  challenge. 

181 


THE   BOOK   OF   MICAH 


V.  The  Exiles'  Return,  2:12,  13 

12.  I  will  surely  assemble,^  O  Jacob,  all  of  thee  ;2 

I  will  surely  gather  the  remnant  of  Israel ; 
I  will  put  them  ^  together  as  the  sheep  of  Bozrah :  ^ 
as  a  flock  in  the  midst  of  their  pasture, 
they  shall  make  great  noise  by  reason  of  the  multi- 
tude of  men. 

13.  The  breaker  is  gone  up  ^  before  them : 

they  have  broken  forth  and  passed  on  to  the  gate,^ 
and  are  gone  out  thereat : 
And  their  king  is  passed  on  before  them, 
and  the  Lord  at  the  head  of  them. 

1  Gr.  shall  be  gathered.  2  Gr.  with  all.  ^  Gr.  I  will  put  his  return.  *  Gr.  and  Syr. 
in  affliction.  Vg.  in  a  sheepfold.  *  Gr.  on  account  of  the  breach.  ^  Syr.  omits  to  the 
gate. 

The  people  are  given  over  to  sensuous  pleasures,  having  no  true 
thought  of  God  before  their  eyes. 

These  vss,  (2:12-13)  are  quite  generally  conceded  to  be  of 
exilic  or  post-exilic  origin.  They  do  not  connect  with  the  con- 
text. They  presuppose  the  exile  as  an  existing  state,  from  which 
deliverance  is  promised ;  and  they  lay  down  no  conditions  re- 
garding character  as  a  prerequisite  to  that  deliverance.  All 
this  is  in  marked  contrast  with  Micah's  point  of  view. 

12.  The  remnant  of  Israel,  which  is  now  scattered  among  the 
nations.  Put  them  together,  i.e.  the  widely  scattered  groups  of 
exiles  will  be  brought  together.  As  the  sheep  of  Bozrah ;  better, 
with  a  slight  change  of  reading,  like  sheep  in  the  fold.  As  a 
flock,  etc. ;  this  and  the  preceding  figure  suggest  Jehovah's  pro- 
tecting care  of  his  people.  They  shall  pake  great  noise,  etc. ; 
literally,  they  shall  roar  because  of  men,  i.e.  they  will  be  crowded 
with  people;    cf.  Isa.  17:  12. 

13.  The  breaker  is  gone  up  before  them;  better,  will  go  up. 
Jehovah  will  go  before  his  people  like  the  ram  of  the  flock  to 
break  down  every  barrier  and  surmount  every  obstacle.  They 
have  broken  forth  and  passed  on  to  the  gats ;  better,  will  break 
forth  and  pass  through,  in  the  wake  of  their  leader,  and  will  go  out 
thereat,  rather  than  are  gone  out.  And  their  king  is  passed  on ; 
better,  will  pass  on.     "  Their  king  "  is,  of  course,  Jehovah  himself. 

182 


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3:4 


VI.   The  Sins  of  Leaders  and  Prophets,  3 : 1-8 

3.   And  I  ^  said,  Hear,^  I  pray  you,  ye  heads  of  Jacob,^ 
and  rulers  ^  of  the  house  of  Israel : 
Is  it  not  for  you  to  know  judgement  ? 

2.  who  hate  the  good,  and  love  the  evil ; 
Who  pluck  off  their  skin  from  off  them, 

and  their  flesh  from  off  their  bones; 

3.  Who  also  ^  eat  the  flesh  of  my  people ; 

and  they  flay  their  skin  from  off  them,  and  break 
their  bones : 
Yea,  they  chop  them  in  pieces,  as  for  ^  the  pot, 
and  as  flesh  within  the  caldron. 

4.  Then  ^  shall  they  cry  unto  the  Lord, 

but  he  will  not  answer  them : 


1  Gr.  and  Syr.  he.  2  Gr.  and  Syr.  add  this,  as  in  vs.  9.  3  Gr.,  Syr.  and  Tg.  house 
of  Jacob,  as  in  vs.  9.  ^  Gr,  the  rest;  so  also  in  vs.  9.  6  Gr.  in  what  way  they. 

6  Gr.  like  flesh  Jor.      ^  Gr.  so. 

For  the  promise  is  for  a  time  when  they  no  longer  have  an  earthly 
king.  For  other  allusions  to  Jehovah  as  king,  cf.  Jer.  22  2; 
Zeph.  3:15;  Isa.  33  :  22  ;  41  :  21 ;  Ps.  89  :  18. 

I,  And  I  said;  this  phrase  lacks  all  connection  with  any 
prior  statement.  Either  some  foregoing  context  has  been  lost,  or 
it  is  merely  a  marginal  note  by  some  reader.  Hear,  etc. ;  this 
address  is  practically  identical  with  that  in  vs.  9 ;  both  here  and 
there,  as  appears  from  vs.  10,  those  addressed  are  the  officials  of 
Judah  in  general  and  of  Jerusalem,  in  particular.  Know  judge- 
ment, or  justice;  those  in  power  are  under  especial  obligation  to 
manifest  the  principles  of  justice  in  all  their  dealings. 

2.  This  and  the  following  vs.  express  Micah's  judgment  of  the 
rulers'  motives,  which  is  based  upon  their  conduct.  The  highly 
figurative  language  is  intended  to  convey  a  vivid  impression  of  the 
heartlessness  and  brutality  of  those  in  power.  The  poor  were  a 
prey  for  the  rich  and  existed  only  to  be  exploited. 

3.  As  for  the  pot;  better,  with  the  Greek,  like  meat  for  the 
pot. 

4.  Then,  i.e.  in  the  coming  judgment;  cf.  2  :  3,  4,  10.  Will 
hide  his  face ;    a  common  figure  for  the  displeasure  of  God ;    cf . 

183 


3:5 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


Yea,  he  will  hide  his  face  from  them  at  that  time, 

according  as^  they  have    wrought  evil   in   their 
doings.2 
Thus  saith  the  Lord 

concerning  the  prophets  that  make  my  people  to  err ; 

that  bite  with  their  teeth  and  cry,  Peace ; 
And  whoso  putteth  not  into  their  mouths, 

they  even  prepare  war  ^  against  him : 
Therefore  it  shall  be  night  unto  you,  that  ye  shall 
have  no  vision ; 

and  it  shall  be  dark  unto  you,  that  ye  shall  not  divine ; 
And  the  sun  shall  go  down  upon  the  prophets, 

and  the  day  shall  be  black  over  them. 


1  Gr.  and.   Syr.  because.  2  Gr.  they  have  dealt  wickedly  in  their  practices  against 

themselves.      '  Gr.  stirred  up  war. 


Isa.  I  :  15;  8:17;  Deut.  31  :  17  f. ;  32  :  20;  Job  13  :  24;  Ps.  13  :  i. 
According  as;  better,  inasmuch  as.  They  have  wrought  evil  in 
their  doings ;  or,  have  made  their  deeds  evil. 

5.  Vss.  5-8  are  concerned  with  a  new  class  of  offenders,  the 
prophets  of  the  day.  To  Micah,  they  seem  a  class  of  self-seekers 
and  impostors ;  he  himself  is  the  only  true  prophet.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  a  more  generous  judgment  would  regard  them  as  a  set  of 
men  in  the  main  sincere  enough,  but  dominated  by  a  too  narrow 
patriotism  and  a  too  low  conception  of  God.  Hence  their  inter- 
pretation of  the  events  of  the  day  differed  radically  from  Micah's. 
Some  of  them,  no  doubt,  were  consciously  abusing  their  office,  by 
seeking  personal  gain  thereby. 

That  bite  with  their  teeth  and  cry.  Peace ;  or,  u<hen  they  bite 
with  their  teeth,  they  preach  peace,  i.e.  when  they  are  well  fed  they 
prophesy  prosperity.  Prepare  war  against  him;  literally, 
sanctify  or  consecrate  war,  all  battles  being  begun  under  the 
auspices  of  religious  ceremonies.  Here,  the  language  is  figurative ; 
the  prophets  band  themselves  together  against  those  who  refuse 
them  support,  and  stir  up  public  opinion  against  them  to  the 
detriment  of  their  social  and  business  standing. 

6.  The  darkness  threatened  is  that  of  the  great  day  of  Jehovah 
(cf.  Am.  5  :  18),  which  will  stagger  the  shallow  optimism  of  these 
prophets  and  paralyze  their  too  facile  tongues. 

184 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


3:11 


7.  And  the  seers  shall  be  ashamed, 

and  the  diviners  confounded ; 
Yea,  they  shall  all  cover  their  lips  :  ^ 
for  there  is  no  answer  of  God.^ 

8.  But  ^  I  truly  am  full  of  power  by  ^  the  spirit  of  the 

Lord, 
and  of  judgement,  and  of  might, 
To  declare  unto  Jacob  his  transgression, 
and  to  Israel  his  sin. 

VII.   The  Fall  of  Jerusalem,  3:9-12 

9.  Hear  this,  I  pray  you,  ye  heads  of  the  house  of  Jacob, 

and  rulers  ^  of  the  house  of  Israel, 
That  abhor  judgement, 
and  pervert  all  equity. 

10.  They  build  ^  up  Zion  with  blood, 

and  Jerusalem  with  iniquity. 

11.  The  heads  thereof  judge  for  reward, 

and  the  priests  thereof  teach  ^  for  hire, 

1  Gr.  all  speak  against  them.  2  Gr.  no  one  answering  them.  Syr.  God  is  not  answer- 
ing them.  ^Gt.  except,  ^m.even.  ^  Gr.  and  the  rest  of,  &s  in  vs.  i.  ^  Gr.,  Syr., 
Vg.  and  Tg.  who  build.      ''  Gr.  answered. 

7.  Cover  their  lips,  or  the  upper  lip;  this  was  a  common  sign 
of  mourning;  cf.  Ezek.  24:  17,  22;  Lev.  13:45.  The  worst  grief , 
amid  all  the  sorrows  of  that  great  day,  will  be  the  fact  that  Jehovah 
will  not  respond  to  their  cry. 

8.  But  I,  in  distinction  from  the  weak,  vacillating  prophets 
just  described,  am  full  of  power,  being  filled  with  the  spirit  of  the 
Lord,  to  the  end  that  the  sins  of  Israel  may  be  revealed  in  all  their 
heinousness. 

9.  That  abhor  judgement,  etc. ;  their  conduct  shows  an  irrec- 
oncilable antagonism  between  them  and  justice. 

10.  Micah  denounced  the  prosperity  and  progress  that  are 
founded  upon  the  exploitation  of  the  poor.  Their  life-blood  has 
gone  into  the  making  of  the  city. 

11.  Reward,  i.e.  a  bribe.     The  decisions  of  the  courts  are  for 

185 


3:i2 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


And  the  prophets  thereof  divine  for  money: 
yet  will  they  lean  upon  the  Lord  and  say, 
Is  not  the  Lord  in  the  midst  of  us  ? 
No  evil  shall  come  upon  us. 
12.   Therefore  shall  Zion  for  your  sake 
be  plowed  as  a  field, 
And  Jerusalem  shall  become  heaps, 

and  the  mountain  of  the  house  as  the  high  places  ^ 
of  a  forest. 

1  Symmachus  and  Theodotion,  as  a  height.   Gr.  a  grove.     Syr.  a  wooded  region. 

sale  to  the  highest  bidder.  Even  the  ministers  of  religion  are 
mad  for  money.  There  is  no  honest  setting  forth  of  truth  and 
right,  regardless  of  fear  or  favor.  Yet  will  they  lean  upon  the  Lord, 
etc. ;  they  are  apparently  unconscious  of  any  breach  between  their 
conduct  and  Jehovah's  demands.  This  blind  confidence  in  Jeho- 
vah's readiness  to  defend  his  people  on  every  occasion  was  the  bar- 
rier between  the  general  public  and  men  like  Micah.  His  words 
sounded  like  treason  and  disloyalty  to  Jehovah  in  the  ears  of  the 
people.  They  were  performing  the  ritual  zealously  and  were  adher- 
ing to  the  old  and  long-established  customs  and  laws ;  what  more 
could  be  expected  of  them  ?  Micah  and  the  like  were  impracticable 
idealists,  with  new  demands  that  had  neither  rhyme  nor  reason. 
Against  this  sort  of  thing,  the  great  prophets,  from  Amos  to  Micah, 
insisted  that  Jehovah's  prime  requirement  was  ethical ;  that  justice 
was  even  dearer  to  him  than  his  people  were;  cf.  Isa.  1:10-17; 
Am.  5  :  21-27  ;    Hos.  6  :  6. 

12.  Zion  is  here  the  city  of  Jerusalem  as  a  whole;  Zion  proper 
(2  Sam.  5  :  6-9)  was  on  the  southern  slope  of  the  hill  to  the  east 
of  the  Tyropceon  valley .  For  your  sake  ;  because  of  your  sins,  total 
destruction  will  befall  Jerusalem.  The  house,  viz.  of  Jehovah ;  this 
is  the  climax  of  disaster.  The  very  temple  itself,  upon  which  they 
counted  so  much  for  protection  (cf.  Jer.  7  :  i  ff.),  is  doomed  to  de- 
struction by  Jehovah.  As  the  high  places  of  a  forest ;  better,  the 
high  place,  with  the  versions,  or,  a  ivooded  height.  The  spot  now  trod 
by  the  feet  of  many  worshippers  will  be  so  deserted  that  it  will  be 
like  the  solitudes  of  the  dense  forest.  This  threat  of  Micah's 
was  long  remembered;   cf.  Jer.  26  :  18. 

Vss.  1-3  of  this  passage  are  repeated  in  Isa.  2  :  2-4 ;  but  there 
are  twelve  variations  between  the  two,  none  of  which,  however, 
materially  affects  the  sense.     The  passage  is  best  understood  as 

186 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


VIII.   The  World  at  Israel's  Feet,  4 : 1-5 

4.   But  in  the  latter  days  it  shall  come  to  pass, 

that  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's  house  ^  shall  be 
Established  in  the  top  ^  of  the  mountains, 

and  it  shall  be  exalted  above  the  hills ; 
And  peoples  shall  flow  unto  it. 
2.       and  many  nations  shall  go  and  say, 

Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up  to  the   mountain  of  the 
Lord, 
and  to  the  house  of  the  God  of  Jacob ; 
And  he  will  teach  us  of  his  ways,^ 

and  we  will  walk  in  his  paths : 
For  out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law,^ 
and  the  word  of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem. 

1  Gr.  omits  house.         2  m.  at  the  head.        ^  Gr.  us  his  way.         ■*  m.  instruction. 

coming  from  the  post-exilic  age.  The  centralization  of  worship  at 
Jerusalem  and  the  pilgrimage  thither  of  the  nations  of  the  world 
are  ideas  of  later  origin  than  the  age  of  Isaiah  and  Micah.  Nor 
is  this  passage  easily  harmonized  with  the  threat  of  total  de- 
struction announced  to  Jerusalem  in  the  immediately  preceding 
vs.,  3  :  12. 

1.  But  is  in  Hebrew  and;  the  rendering  but  is  due  to  a  de- 
sire to  establish  a  connection  with  chap.  3.  Yet  before  that  prom- 
ised in  4 :  I  ff .  could  come  to  pass,  it  would  be  necessary  for 
Judah  to  repent  of  its  evil  ways.  Such  a  prerequisite  is  lacking 
here.  In  the  latter  days,  i.e.  at  the  end  of  the  existing  dispensa- 
tion and  at  the  opening  of  the  Messianic  age.  The  mountain,  etc. 
i.e.  Mt.  Zion.  In  the  top  of  the  mountains ;  better,  at  the  top,  etc., 
with  the  margin.  This,  with  the  following,  exalted,  etc.,  does  not 
imply  an  actual  physical  elevation  of  Mt.  Zion,  but  rather  an 
elevation  in  honor  and  reverence,  as  the  site  of  the  greatest  of 
all  sanctuaries. 

2.  This  vs.  presupposes  the  existence  of  the  law  of  Deut.  12, 
centralizing  all  worship  at  Jerusalem,  and  thus  points  to  the  late 
origin  of  this  passage.  The  law ;  better,  with  the  margin,  instruc- 
tion; not  referring  to  the  law  of  Moses  so  much  as  the  religion  and 
the  prophetic  teaching  in  general. 

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THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


3.  And  he  shall  judge  between^  many^  peoples, 

and  shall  reprove  ^  strong  nations  afar  off ; 
And  they  shall  beat  their  swords  into  plowshares, 

and  their  spears  into  pruninghooks : 
Nation  shall  not  lift  up  sword  against  nation, 

neither  shall  they  learn  war  any  more. 

4.  But  they  shall  sit  every  man  under  his  vine 

and  under  his  fig  tree ; 
And  none  shall  make  them  afraid : 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  of  hosts  hath  spoken 
it. 

5.  For  all  the  peoples  will  walk*  every  one  in  the  name 

of  his  god,^ 
and  we  will  walk  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  our  God 
for  ever  and  ever. 

1  m.  among.  2  m.  great.  ^  m.  decide  concerning.  *  m.  peoples  walk.  ^  Gr. 
every  one  his  way. 

3.  Just  as  the  priest  of  Jehovah  now  settles  all  difficult  ques- 
tions in  litigation  among  Jehovah's  people,  so  in  the  Messianic 
age  Jehovah  will  arbitrate  all  the  disputes  of  the  nations,  and  war 
will  thus  disappear  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  Reprove ;  better, 
arbitrate  for.  This  ideal  of  universal  peace  was  cherished  among 
a  people  left  shattered  by  calamitous  wars. 

4.  Instead  of  fighting,  perfect  peace  and  calmest  confidence  will 
prevail.     There  will  be  no  cause  for  alarm. 

5.  This  vs.  is  a  later  comment  on  vss.  i  ff.  and  comes  from  a 
practical  man,  who  is  doubtful  of  the  possibility  of  the  foregoing 
ideal  being  speedily  realized.  For  all  the  peoples  will  walk; 
better,  though  all  the  peoples  walk.  And  we  v/iU  walk;  better, 
yet  we  will  walk.  This  writer  expresses  the  determination  to  be 
loyal  to  the  religion  of  Jehovah  through  all  time,  no  matter  even 
if  the  nations  persist  in  their  idolatry  and  refuse  to  turn  and 
follow  Jehovah. 

This  passage  (4  :  6-10)  probably  belongs  to  the  period  shortly 
before  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  in  597  or  586  B.C.  If  vss.  9-10  might  be 
transposed  to  precede  vss.  6-8,  the  whole  section  would  become 
logically  unified,  the  order  of  events  being  siege,  exile,  return,  and 
restoration. 


THE   BOOK  OF   MICAH 


IX.   Exile  and  Restoration,  4 :  6-10 

6.  In  that  day,  saith  the  Lord, 

will  I  assemble  her  that  halteth,^ 
And  I  will  gather  her  that  is  driven  away, 
and  her  that  I  have  afflicted ;  ^ 

7.  And  I  will  make  her  that  halted  a  remnant, 

and  her  that  was  cast  far  off  ^  a  strong  nation : 
And  the  Lord  shall  reign  over  them  in  mount  Zion^ 
from  henceforth  even  for  ever. 

8.  And  thou,  O  tower  of  the  flock,^ 

the  hill  ^  of  the  daughter  of  Zion, 
Unto  thee  shall  it  come ;    yea,  the  former  dominion 
shall  come, 
the  kingdom  ^  of  the  daughter  of  Jerusalem.^ 

1  Syr.  and  Tg.  the  distant  ones.  2  Gr.  and  those  'whom  I  drove  away.  ^  Vg.  her 
that  had  labored.  *  Syr.  adds  and  in  Jerusalem.  ^  m.  Eder  (cf.  Gen.  35  :  21).  6  Qr. 
squalid  one.   Yg.  gloomy  one.    Syr.  dark.       ''  Gr.  adds  from  Babylon.       ^Tg.  Israel. 

6.  In  that  day;  the  day  of  Jehovah,  as  in  4 :  i,  here  marking 
the  end  of  the  Exile.  The  descriptions  of  this  vs.  apply  to  the 
exiled  community  as  a  whole,  not  to  the  individual  members  of  it. 
Cf.  Zeph.  3  :  19. 

7.  The  fact  that  remnant  is  here  made  parallel  to  strong 
nation  shows  that  the  two  are  thought  of  as  practically  equivalent 
and  points  to  late  origin  for  the  passage.  Her  that  was  cast  far 
off;  better,  with  a  slight  change  of  text,  her  that  was  sick.  The 
Lord  shall  reign;  no  human  king  as  in  days  gone  by;  cf.  Isa. 
24  :  23  ;  52:7.  From  henceforth;  the  Messianic  age  is  thought 
of  as  just  about  to  dawn. 

8.  Tower  of  the  flock;  Jerusalem  is  likened  to  the  watch- 
tower  overlooking  the  sheepfold  v/hence  the  shepherd  kept  a  look- 
out for  wild  beasts;  cf.  Numb.  32:  16;  2  Chron.  26:  10.  Unto 
thee  shall  it  come,  etc. ;  a  better  arrangement  of  words  yields, 
unto  thee  shall  come  the  first  doviinion;  yea,  there  shall  come  the 
kingdom,  etc.  The  reference  is  probably  to  the  days  of  David 
and  Solomon ;  and  the  promise  to  Jerusalem  thus  is  that  she  shall 
once  more  be  the  capital  of  all  Israel.  The  daughter  of  Jeru- 
salem;   it  is  tempting   to   read,  with   the   Targum,  kingdom  of 


4'9 


THE   BOOK   OF   MICAH 


9.   Now  why  dost  thou  cry  out  aloud  ?  ^ 
Is  there  no  king  in  thee, 
Is  thy  counsellor  perished, 

that  pangs  have  taken  hold  of  thee  as  of  a  woman 
in  travail  ? 
10.   Be  in  pain,  and  labour  to  bring  forth,^  O  daughter 
of  Zion,  like  a  woman  in  travail : 
for  now  shalt  thou  go  forth  out  of  the  city,  and 
shalt  dwell  in  the  field, 
And    shalt    come    even   unto  Babylon;    there  shalt 
thou  be  rescued ;  ^ 
there  shall  the  Lord  ^  redeem  thee  from  the  hand 
of  thine  enemies. 

1  Gr.  thou  know  evil.  Syr.  thou  do  evil.  Vg.  art  thou  contracted  with  mourning.  Tg. 
connect  thyself  with  peoples.  2  q,-  ig  {^  puiyi  ^fid  i)g  ^  ff^m  ^^^  draw  nigh.  Vg.  be  in 
pain  and  be  content.      ^  Gr.  there  he  will  redeem  thee.       *  Gr.  adds  thy  God. 

the  house  of  Israel,  which  is  a  meaning  parallel  to  that  of  first 
dominion. 

9.  Cry  aloud,  i.e.  in  anguish.  The  "  daughter  of  Zion  " 
is  addressed.  The  city  is  evidently  in  terror,  in  view  of  a  threat- 
ening attack.  Is  there  no  king,  etc. ;  an  ironical  question,  prob- 
ably, intended  to  emphasize  the  helplessness  and  uselessness  of  the 
king  and  his  advisers  in  the  approaching  crisis.  Pangs  have 
taken  hold  of  thee,  etc. ;  a  figure  intended  to  represent  most 
excruciating  suffering ;    cf.  Jer.  6:24;    22:23. 

10.  An  expansion  of  the  figure  in  vs.  9.  Having  asked  them  in 
irony,  why  Zion  grieves,  here  in  all  seriousness,  it  is  said,  "  thou 
hast  every  reason  to  grieve."  Now,  i.e.  soon.  Go  forth,  etc. ; 
from  the  protection  of  the  walled  city  to  the  open,  unprotected 
country,  exposed  to  inclement  weather,  wild  beasts,  and  wilder 
men.  And  shalt  come  even  unto  Babylon ;  this  is  clear  proof  of 
late  origin.  Micah  and  his  contemporaries  were  concerned  with 
Assyria,  and  its  capital,  Nineveh,  not  with  Babylon,  which  did 
not  rise  to  pov\^er  until  after  607,  when  Nineveh  fell.  Some  schol- 
ars, therefore,  in  order  to  save  the  vs.  for  Micah,  drop  this 
sentence ;  but  it  is  needed  as  an  antecedent  for  the  following 
there.  Shalt  thou  be  rescued ;  this  certainty  of  deliverance 
which  never  deserted  the  prophets  of  the  exilic  and  post-exilic  age 
is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  and  splendid  things  in  the  Hebrew 
religion.      The  prophetic  faith  in  Jehovah  stopped  at  nothing. 

igo 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


X.   Israel's  Triumph,  4:11-5:1 

11.  And  now  many  nations  are  assembled  against  thee, 

that  say.  Let  her  be  defiled,^ 

and  let  our  eye  see  its  desire'^  upon  Zion. 

12.  But  they  know  not  the  thoughts  of  the  Lord, 

neither  understand  they  his  counsel : 
for  he  hath  gathered  them  as  the  sheaves^  to  the 
threshing-floor. 

13.  Arise  and  thresh,  O  daughter  of  Zion : 

for  I  will  make  thine  horn  iron, 
and  I  will  make  thy  hoofs  brass : 

1  Gr.  let  us  rejoice  over.  Vg.  let  her  he  stoned.  2  m.  gaze.  s  Vg.  hay;  Sjt.  ears 
of  grain.    Aquila  and  Symmachus,  chaf. 

Vss.  11-13  reflect  a  different  situation  from  that  of  vss.  9-10. 
In  both  cases,  Jerusalem  is  besieged  ;  but  in  vss.  9-10  she  was  cap- 
tured and  her  citizens  carried  captive  ;  here  she  turns  upon  her  be- 
siegers and  with  Jehovah's  aid  destroys  them.  There  Babylon  was 
the  enemy ;  here  it  is  the  pagan  world  in  general.  The  point  of 
view  of  the  prophecy  is  post-exilic.  5  :  i,  on  the  other  hand,  is  an 
independent  fragment  describing  some  actual  siege,  rather  than  a 
prophetic  vision  as  in  vss.  11-13.  It  may  well  have  come  from 
Micah's  prophecies  at  the  time  of  Sennacherib's  invasion;  but 
there  is  no  definite  evidence  of  any  specific  date. 

11.  The  gathering  of  the  nations  against  Jerusalem  is  a  char- 
acteristic of  late  prophecy ;  cf.  Ezek.  chaps.  38-39;  Isa.  41  :  11- 
16;  Zeph.  3  :  8.  Let  her  be  defiled,  i.e.  by  the  tread  of  foreign 
armies;  cf.  Joel  3:  17;  Isa.  24  :  5  ;  Numb.  35:33.  Let  our  eye 
see  its  desire  upon;  or  fasten  upon,  gloat  triumphantly  over 
Zion. 

12.  The  foes  have  reckoned  without  their  host.  Jehovah's 
plans  are  other  than  theirs.  In  similar  fashion,  Isa.  10:5-19 
pictures  the  Assyrian  unconsciously  fulfilling  Jehovah's  purpose 
against  Israel,  only  to  become  the  victim  of  Jehovah's  wrath  later 
on  himself.  For  he  hath  gathered  them ;  or  that,  etc. ;  this  is  the 
content  of  Jehovah's  plan. 

13.  Arise  and  thresh;  Judah  is  to  be  Jehovah's  agent  in  the 
execution  of  his  will  against  the  nations.  She  who  has  been  trod- 
den under  foot  of  the  Gentiles  so  long  will  at  last  have  her  day. 

191 


THE  BOOK  OF   MICAH 


And  thou  shalt  beat  in  pieces  many  peoples : 
and  thou  shalt  devote  ^  their  gain  unto  the  Lord, 
and  their  substance  unto  the  Lord  of  the  whole 
earth. 
5.   Now  shalt  thou  gather  thyself  in  troops,  O  daughter 
of  troops: 2 
he  hath^  laid  siege  against  us: 
they    shall  smite  the  judge ^  of  Israel  with  a  rod 
upon  the  cheek. 

XL  The  Messiah,  5 :  2-4 

2.   But  thou,  Beth-lehem  Ephrathah,^ 

which  art  little  ^  to  be  ^  among  the  thousands  ^  of 
Judah, 

1  Heb.  /  shall  devote.       Gr.,  Syr.,  Vg.  and  Tg.  thou  shall  devote.  2  Gr.  will  the 

daughter  he  stopped  by  a  barrier.  Syr.  thou  wilt  go  forth  in  a  troop,  0  daughter  of  troops. 
Vg.  thou  wilt  be  devastated,  0  daughter  of  robbery.  3  Syr.,  Vg.  and  Tg.  they  have. 
*  Syr.  the  shepherd.  Gr.  the  gate.  '  ^  Gr.  Bethlehem  hotise  of  Ephrathah.  ^  Gr.  thou 
art  least.       '  Vg.  omits  to  be.       s  m.  families. 

Thy  horn ;  the  figure  of  the  ox  treading  out  the  grain  is  here  used ; 
but  the  horn  is  suggestive  of  goring  rather  than  threshing.  The 
iron  horn  and  bronze  hoofs  are  representative  of  the  invincibility 
of  Judah  as  Jehovah's  agent.  Thou  shalt  devote  their  gain, 
i.e.  the  spoil  taken  from  them  by  Israel  will  be  wholly  given  up  as 
an  offering  to  Jehovah;  cf.  Josh.  6:  17-19,  24;  Exod.  22:  19; 
Judg.  i:  17. 

I.  Now  shalt  thou  gather  thyself  in  troops,  O  daughter  of 
troops ;  better,  with  an  easy  change  of  text,  now  art  thou  cutting 
thyself  severely.  Jerusalem  is  addressed  and  described  as  indulg- 
ing in  a  custom  characteristic  of  mourners  and  those  in  great 
distress;  cf.  Deut.  14:  i;  2  Kings  18:  28.  He;  better,  with  the 
versions,  they.  Against  us ;  the  speaker  identifies  himself  with 
his  suffering  countrymen.  They  shall  smite  ;  better,  in  the  pres- 
ent tense,  they  smite.  The  treatment  described  was  a  gross  in- 
sult; cf.  I  Kings  22:  24;  Job  16:  10.  It  may  refer  either  to 
such  insults  as  were  heaped  upon  Hezekiah  by  the  Assyrian,  or 
to  the  speaker's  conviction  that  the  insults  of  the  foe  were  offen- 
sive to  Israel's  greater  king,  Jehovah  of  hosts. 

This  section  (5  :  2-4)  is  most  easily  explained  as  coming  from  the 
192 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


Out  of  thee  shall  one  come  forth  unto  me 

that  is  to  be  ruler  in  Israel ; 
Whose  goings  forth  are  from  of  old,  from  everlasting.  ^ 
3.       Therefore  will  he  give  them  up,  until  the  time  that 
she  who  travaileth  hath  brought  forth :    then  the 
residue  of  his  brethren  shall  return  unto  ^  the  children 
of  Israel. 

1  m.  from  ancient  days.  » m.  with. 

period  when  Messianic  hopes  were  centring  in  Zerubbabel  just 
after  the  Exile. 

2.  Beth-lehem  Ephrathah ;  better,  Beth-ephrathah,  as  appears 
from  the  Gr.  and  from  the  metre.  In  Math.  2:6,"  Bethlehem, 
the  land  of  Judah."  But  the  identification  of  Beth-ephrathah 
with  Bethlehem  is  correct  as  appears  from  the  mention  of  Judah 
in  the  next  line  and  from  the  evident  allusion  here  to  the  Davidic 
dynasty  which  sprang  from  Bethlehem,  and  from  the  association 
of  Bethlehem  with  Ephrathah  in  other  passages;  cf.  i  Sam.  17: 
12;  Ruth  1:2;  4:  II ;  I  Chron.  2  :  19,  50;  4:4.  Ephrathah  was 
either  the  district  in  which,  or  the  clan  to  which,  Bethlehem  be- 
longed. Which  art  little  to  be  among  the  thousands  of  Judah ; 
better,  with  a  necessary  correction  of  text,  which  art  least  among 
the  clans  of  Judah.  But  notwithstanding  the  numerical  and 
political  insignificance  of  Beth-ephrathah,  out  of  thee  shall  one 
come  forth  unto  me  (better,  for  me)  that  is  to  be  ruler  in  (or 
over)  Israel.  This  promise  implies  that  at  the  time  of  its  utter- 
ance there  was  no  king  in  Israel ;  thus  the  date  is  exilic.  Whose 
goings  forth  are  from  of  old,  from  everlasting ;  better,  whose 
origins  are  from  of  old,  from  ancient  days.  This  points  to  birth  in 
one  of  the  ancient  families,  viz.  the  Davidic;  cf.  Ezek.  24:  23  f . ; 
37:  24  f.;   Hos.  3:5. 

3.  This  vs.  seems  to  be  a  prosaic  gloss  upon  vss.  2  and  4.  The 
connection  with  vs.  2  is  very  loose ;  there  is  no  antecedent  for 
the  pronoun  them;  and  the  subject  is  left  very  indefinite.  The 
thought  of  the  vs.  is,  "  since  Jehovah  is  going  to  raise  up  a  great 
king  for  his  people,  it  is  clear  that  the  present  distress  is  only 
temporary  and  will  cease  when  the  promised  Messiah  comes." 
Will  he  give  them  up,  i.e.  Jehovah  will  abandon  his  people  to 
their  foes.  She  who  travaileth  hath  brought  forth ;  better,  she 
who  is  to  travail  shall  have  home.  Apparently  an  allusion  to  the 
promise  of  Isa.  7  :  14,  which  is  interpreted  here  as  referring  to  the 
birth  of  the  Messiah.     Then  the  residue  of  his  brethren,  etc.; 

o  193 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


4.  And  he  shall  stand/  and  shall  feed  his  flock  m  the 

strength  of  the  Lord, 
in  the  majesty  of  the  name  of  the  Lord  his  God : 
And  they  shall  abide ;  ^  for  now  shall  he  ^  be  great 
unto  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

XII.   Israel's  Protection,  5  :  5-6 

5.  And  this  man  ^  shall  be  our  peace : 

when  the  Assyrian  shall  come  into  our  ^  land, 
and  when  he  shall  tread  in  our  palaces,^ 

1  Gr.  adds  he  shall  see.  2  Syj-.^  Vg.,  Tg.  they  shall  turn.  Gr.  they  will  begin.  ^  Gr. 
they.  *  Syr.  omits  this  man;  man  is  lacking  in  Heb.  ^  Gr.  your.  ^  Gr.  upon  your 
ground. 

better,  and  the  rest  of  his  brethren,  etc.  The  Exile  is  here  looked 
upon  as  an  existing  fact ;  with  the  advent  of  the  Messiah,  the 
whole  Hebrew  family  will  be  reunited  in  its  old  home.  The  pro- 
noun his  is  ambiguous ;  it  may  refer  to  the  Messiah,  or  to  Judah 
as  distinguished  from  Northern  Israel,  or  even  to  Shear-jashub  of 
Isa.  7  :  3. 

4.  Vs.  2  is  here  resumed.  He  is  the  Messianic  prince.  Stand, 
i.e.  be  steadfast,  immovable,  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord ;  not  that 
of  his  people,  nor  of  himself,  but  that  of  Jehovah.  And  they 
shall  abide ;  it  is  hard  to  find  any  place  for  this  here ;  there  is  no 
antecedent  for  they,  for  the  words  his  flock  of  the  preceding 
sentence  are  not  in  the  Hebrew.  It  is  probably  a  marginal  note 
by  some  reader  who  wished  to  say  that  the  flock  of  Jehovah  would 
now  have  a  permanent  habitation  whence  they  should  go  no  more 
out  for  ever.  For  now  shall  he  be  great,  etc. ;  a  convincing 
manifestation  of  the  strength  of  Jehovah  as  exercised  through  his 
Messiah. 

This  section  (5  : 5-6)  is  independent  of  the  foregoing,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  fact  that  the  Messiah  v/ho  dominates  there  is  lost 
sight  of  here  and  yields  his  place  to  a  multiplicity  of  leaders.  There 
the  dominion  of  the  Messiah  is  world-wide ;  here  Judah  is  liable  to 
encroachment  from  Assyria.  This  passage  too  is  of  late  origin, 
being  governed  by  the  apocalyptic  point  of  view  rather  than 
the  historical. 

5.  And  this  man  shall  be  our  peace  :  when  the  Assyrian  shall 
come  into  our  land ;  better,  with  an  easy  change  of  text,  and  this 
shall  be  our  protection  from  Assyria:   when  he  comes  into  our  land. 

194 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH  5:^7 


Then  shall  we  raise  ^  against  him  seven  shepherds, 
and  eight  principal  ^  men. 

6.  And    they  shall    waste  ^    the    land  of  Assyria    with 

the  sword, 
and  the  land  of  Nimrod  in  the  entrances  thereof:^ 
And  he  shall  deliver  us  from  the  Assyrian, 
when  he  cometh  into  our  land, 
and  when  he  treadeth  within  our  border. 

XIII.  The  Irresistible  Might  of  the  Remnant,  5 :  7-9 

7.  And  the  remnant  of  Jacob  shall  be^  in  the  midst  of 

many  peoples 

1  Gr.  shall  there  he  raised  up.  2  Gr.  Utes  of.         ^  m.  eat  up,  or  he  shepherds  over. 

*  Gr.  in  its  ditch.  Syr.  in  his  wrath.  Vg.  with  its  lances.  ^  Gr.  and  Syr.  add  among 
the  nations,  as  in  vs.  8. 

The  mention  of  Assyria  does  not  indicate  pre-exilic  origin  for 
this  prophecy;  for  the  name  Assyria  was  applied  to  the  succes- 
sors of  Assyria  long  after  the  downfall  of  Assyria.  In  Lam.  5  :  6, 
it  is  applied  to  Babylon;  in  Ezra  6  :  22,  to  Persia;  and  in  Zech. 
10  :  II,  to  Syria.  The  name  given  by  the  Talmud  to  the  Aramaic 
script  used  throughout  the  regions  formerly  controlled  by  Assyria 
was  "  the  Assyrian  writing  ";  and  Herodotus,  VII,  63,  declares 
the  names  Assyria  and  Syria  to  be  synonymous.  Tread  in  our 
palaces ;  better,  following  the  Greek,  tread  upon  our  soil.  Seven 
shepherds,  and  eight  principal  men,  i.e.  there  will  be  all  the  leaders 
that  may  be  needed;  in  contrast  with  the  speaker's  present, 
when  leadership  was  sadly  lacking.  The  numbers  seven  and 
eight  simply  indicate  indefinitely  the  idea  of  "many";  cf. 
"  three  "  and  "  four  "  in  Amos  i  :  3  ff. 

6.  Waste ;  better,  with  margin,  shepherd,  i.e.  exercise  rule 
over,  with  the  sword,  inflicting  punishment  upon  her  for  all  her 
wickedness.  Nimrod  designates  the  whole  territory  of  Baby- 
Ionia  and  Assyria;  cf.  Gen.  10:  8-11;  i  Chron.  i:  16.  In  the 
entrances  thereof;  if  correct,  this  means  either  the  establish- 
ment of  a  blockade  or  the  pursuit  of  fugitives  into  the  moun- 
tain fastnesses.  But  the  parallelism  calls  for  a  weapon  ;  hence  it 
is  better  to  read,  after  Vulgate  and  Aquila,  with  the  drawn  sword. 
And  he  shall  deliver  us  ;  better,  and  they  will  rescue,  in  parallelism 
with  "  they  will  shepherd,"  i.e.  the  many  leaders  will  bring 
deliverance. 

19s 


5:8  THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


as  dew  from  the  Lord, 
as  showers  upon  the  grass ; 
That  tarrieth^  not  for  man, 
nor  waiteth  for  the  sons  of  men. 

8.  And  the  remnant  of  Jacob  shall  be  among  the  nations, 

in  the  midst  of  many  peoples, 
as  a  lion  among  the  beasts  of  the  forest,^ 
as  a  young  lion  among  the  flocks  of  sheep : 
Who,  if  he  go  through,  treadeth  down 
and  teareth  in  pieces,  and   there  is  none  to  de- 
liver. 

9.  Let  thine  hand  be  lifted  up  ^  above  thine  adversaries, 

and  let  all  thine  enemies  be  cut  off. 

1  Gr.  was  gathered.        2  Syr.  beasts  of  the  flock.        ^  Gr.  ihine  hand  will  be  lifted  up. 

This  section  (5  :  7-9)  comes  from  a  time  when  the  scattering  of  the 
exiles  throughout  the  world  was  an  established  fact  and  when  the 
idea  of  the  remnant  had  gathered  to  itself  all  the  glory  of  the 
Messianic  hope.  It  does  not  connect  with  vss.  5  and  6,  for  there 
Israel  occupies  its  own  territory ;  here  she  is  dispersed  over  the 
face  of  the  earth.  Nor  does  it  connect  with  the  following  context ; 
for  while  Israel  here  is  victor  over  the  nations  of  the  world,  there 
she  is  herself  the  victim  of  Jehovah's  wrath. 

7.  Jacob  here  includes  all  Israel,  not  Judah  alone.  As  dew, 
etc. ;  the  meaning  of  the  figure  seems  to  be  that  just  as  dew  and 
rain  cause  the  growth  of  herbage  without  the  aid  of  irrigation,  so 
Jehovah's  favor  and  power  will  bring  the  remnant  of  Israel  to 
victory  over  the  nations,  without  any  human  help.  Jehovah 
alone  is  Israel's  all-sufficient  aid. 

8.  As  a  lion,  etc. ;  vs.  7  sets  forth  the  source  of  Israel's 
strength ;  this  shows  that  strength  at  work.  Israel  will  be  su- 
preme among  the  nations,  even  as  the  lion  among  the  denizens 
of  the  forest, 

9.  Carried  away  by  the  foregoing  vision  of  triumph,  some 
later  reader  added  this  pious  comment.  Let  thine  hand,  etc. ; 
better  as  in  Greek,  thy  hand  will  be  high  above  thine  enemies  and  all 
thy  foes  will  be  cut  off.  Either  Jehovah  or  the  remnant  may  be 
addressed  here;  a  closer  connection  is  secured  on  the  latter 
alternative. 


196 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


5:13 


XIV.  Israel  Chastened  and  Cleansed,  5 :  10-15 

10.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  saith  the  Lord, 

that  I  will  cut  ofi  thy  horses  out  of  the  midst  of  thee, 
and  will  destroy  thy  chariots : 

1 1 .  And  I  will  cut  ofif  the  cities  of  thy  land, 

and  will  throw  down  all  thy  strong  holds : 

12.  And  I  will  cut  off  witchcrafts^  out  of  thine  hand; 

and  thou  shalt  have  no  more  soothsayers : 

13.  And  I  will  cut  off  thy  graven  images  and  thy  pillars  ^ 

out  of  the  midst  of  thee ; 
and  thou  shalt  no  more  worship  the  work  of  thine 
hands. 

1  Gr.  thy  witchcrafts.  2  m.  obelisks.    Syr.  thine  altars. 

Vss.  10-13  nia-y  be  a  fragment  from  Micah  himself,  for  all  of  the 
conditions  therein  reflected  were  present  in  the  eighth  century 
B.C.  and  it  is  not  impossible  that  Micah  denounced  them,  even  if 
preceding  prophets  ignored  some  of  them  and  even  if  chaps.  1-3 
do  not  attack  these  evils,  but  others.  The  question  is  best  left 
open. 

10.  Cut  off  thy  horses,  etc.;  cf.  Zech.  9:10;  Hos.  14:4; 
Deut.  17  :  16;    20  :  i. 

11.  The  destruction  of  cities  and  strong  holds  will  leave 
Judah  defenceless.  Sennacherib  records  that  in  the  campaign 
of  705-701  he  destroyed  "  forty-six  strong  walled  cities  "  of  Judah. 

12.  Witchcrafts  and  soothsayers,  representative  of  Israel's 
effort  to  get  help  from  other  sources  than  Jehovah,  will  be  de- 
stroyed even  as  the  fortresses  in  which  Israel  is  trusting.  Israel 
will  be  left  wholly  without  defence  by  him  who  is  her  only  and 
all-sufficient  defence. 

13.  Graven  images  and  thy  pillars;  these  were  common  in 
early  Israel ;  cf.  Judg.  17  :  3,  4;  Hos.  11:2;  13:2;  Isa.  10:10; 
21 :  9;  Gen.  28:  18;  31  :  13,  45.  Idols  were  prohibited  by  the 
Decalogue  (Exod.  20 :  4)  and  denounced  by  Hosea  and  Isaiah. 
The  pillars  were  first  prohibited  in  the  Deuteronomic  Code 
(Deut.  16  :  22),  but  held  their  place  long  afterwards,  nevertheless. 
If  this  section  be  from  Micah,  it  is  the  first  recorded  denunciation 
of  the  pillars. 

197 


5: 14  THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


14.  And  I  will  pluck  up  thine  Asherim^  out  of  the  midst 

of  thee : 
and  I  will  destroy  thy  cities.^ 

15.  And  I  will  execute  vengeance  in  anger  and  fury 

upon  the  nations  which  ^  hearkened  not.^ 

XV.  Jehovah's  Contention  with  Israel,  6 : 1-5 

6.       Hear  ye  now  ^  what  the  Lord  saith :  ® 
Arise,  contend  thou  before  the  mountains, 

and  let  the  hills  hear  thy  voice. 
2.   Hear,  O  ye  mountains,^  the  Lord's  controversy, 

and  ye  enduring  ^  foundations  of  the  earth : 

1  Gr.  the  groves.     Syr.  thy  plants.         ^  m.  enemies;  so  Tg.  '  Gr.  because  they. 

*  m.  such  as  they  have  not  heard.        5  Qj-.  adds  the  word.      «  Gr.  said.        ''  Gr.  peoples. 
'  Gr.  mountain  clefts;  similarly  Syr.    Vg.  strong. 

14.  The  latter  half  of  this  vs.  adds  nothing,  being  a  weak 
repetition  of  vs.  11,  and  is  probably  a  gloss.  The  threat  against 
the  Asherim  singles  out  a  special  kind  of  idolatry,  first  specifically 
prohibited  by  the  Deuteronomic  Code  (12:3;  16:21).  The 
idol  in  question  was  a  sacred  v/ooden  post  and  was  worshipped 
near  the  altar  by  both  Canaanites  (Judg.  6:2,  25  ;  Exod.  34  :  13) 
and  Hebrews  (2  Kings  23:6;  Isa.  17:8).  Its  mention  here 
probably  belongs  to  the  gloss. 

15.  This  vs.  has  no  relation  to  the  foregoing  vss.  _;  it  is  an  addi- 
tion from  an  editor  who  could  not  let  a  denunciation  of  Israel's 
idolatry  pass  without  a  word  regarding  the  great  idolatrous 
heathen  world.  Hence,  Jehovah's  vengeance  upon  the  heathen 
foretold  as  an  offset  to  the  preceding  message  of  chastisement 
upon  Israel.  Their  only  chance  of  deliverance  is  in  their  turning 
from  their  idols  and  accepting  Jehovah  as  their  God. 

This  section  (6  : 1-5)  lacks  any  specific  marks  of  its  date.  It  might 
have  arisen  at  almost  any  time  in  the  prophetic  period.  But  its 
presence  in  the  collection  of  late  oracles  making  up  chaps.  6  and  7 
renders  it  probable  that  this  passage  is  late  like  the  rest. 

1.  Contend  thou,  or  plead;  the  figure  is  that  of  a  com- 
plainant in  court.  Before  the  mountains,  as  arbiters.  The 
natural  world  is  here  represented  as  capable  of  passing  upon  moral 
questions,  in  the  passion  of  the  prophetic  oratory. 

2.  The  prophet  now  takes  up  the  address.     The  Lord's  con- 

198 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH  6:5 


For  the  Lord  hath  a  controversy  with  his  people, 
and  he  will  plead  with  Israel. 

3.  O  my  people,  what  have  I  done  unto  thee  ? 

and  wherein  have  I  wearied  thee  ?  ^  testify  against 
me. 

4.  For  I  brought  thee  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 

and  redeemed  thee  out  of  the  house  of  bondage ; 
and  I  sent  before  thee  Moses,  Aaron,  and  Miriam. 

5.  O  my  people,  remember  now  what   Balak  king  of 

Moab  consulted,^ 
and  what  Balaam  the  son  of  Beor  answered  him ; 
Remember  from  Shittim^  unto  Gilgal, 
that  ye  may  know  the  righteous  acts  of  the  Lord. 

1  Gr.  adds  or  wherein  did  I  annoy  thee?  2  Gr.  and  Syr.  add  against  thee.  ^  Gr.  from 
the  rushes. 

troversy ;  Jehovah  is  plaintiff ;  Israel  is  defendant ;  the  moun- 
tains judge  and  jury  ;  and  the  prophet  is  attorney  for  the  plaintiff. 
And  ye  enduring  foundations  of  the  earth ;  the  difficulties  of 
grammar  and  style  here  make  it  necessary  to  correct  the  text  to 
Yea,  give  ear,  0  foundations  of  the  earth.  The  foundations  are 
the  mountains,  thought  of  as  pillars  supporting  the  earth;  cf. 
Deut.  32:  22;   Ps.  18:  8. 

3.  Jehovah,  through  the  prophet,  now  makes  entreaty  to 
Israel  to  show  cause  for  its  ingratitude  and  disobedience.  Has  he 
wronged  her  in  any  way?  He  himself  is  not  conscious  of  any  ill 
intention.     No  answer  can  be  made,  for  Israel  is  without  excuse. 

4.  Far  from  having  injured  Israel,  Jehovah  has,  on  the  con- 
trary, always  been  generous  and  kind,  even  from  the  very  be- 
ginning of  her  history.  Miriam  is  mentioned  nowhere  else  by  the 
prophets. 

5.  A  reference  to  the  events  recorded  in  Numb,  chaps.  22-24. 
The  whole  situation,  fraught  with  terrible  danger  for  Israel,  is 
brought  to  mind  and  Israel  is  thus  reminded  of  the  way  in  which 
Jehovah  saved  her  by  frustrating  the  purpose  of  Balak.  This 
prophet  apparently  takes  the  story  at  its  face  value,  with  all  of  its 
superstitious  belief  in  the  magical  power  of  a  curse.  Shittim  was 
the  last  camping  station  before  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan  (Josh. 
3:1),  while  Gilgal  was  the  first  one  afterward  (Josh.  4:20). 
In  between  lay  all  the  marvellous  story  of  the  crossing  —  another 

199 


6:6  THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


XVI.   True  Religion  and  Undefiled,  6 : 6-8 

6.  Wherewith  shall  I  come  before  the  Lord, 

and  bow  myself  before  ^  the  high  God  ? 
Shall  I  come  before  him  with  burnt  offerings, 
with  calves  of  a  year  old  ? 

7.  Will  the  Lord  be  pleased  with  thousands  of  rams, 

or  with  ten  thousands  of  rivers  of  oil  ?  ^ 
Shall  I  give  my  firstborn  for  my  transgression, 
the  fruit  of  my  body  for  the  sin  of  my  soul  ?  ^ 

1  Gr.  and  lay  hold  of.  2  Syr.  with  strength  of  heifers.  ^  Syr.  /  will  not  offer  my  first- 
born —  a  sin  is  he  to  me;  nor  the  fruits  of  my  body  —  a  sin  of  my  soul  are  they  to  me. 

proof  of  Jehovah's  love.  The  righteous  acts,  i.e.  those  acts  which 
reveal  his  righteousness,  not  only  to  Israel,  but  to  the  world. 
They  are  really  Jehovah's  victories  over  Israel's  foes,  for  which 
she  should  be  unceasingly  grateful. 

The  oracle  is  apparently  incomplete,  since  it  lacks  any  positive 
charge  against  Israel  and  also  any  announcement  of  punishment. 
It  is  apparently  only  a  fragment. 

This  section  (6  : 6-8)  probably  originated  early  in  the  post-exilic 
period.  The  point  of  view  is  that  of  the  sage  and  teacher  rather 
than  the  prophet ;  and  the  conception  of  religion  is  individual- 
istic and  universal,  rather  than  national  and  particularistic  as  in 
Micah's  time. 

6.  The  questions  here  are,  of  course,  rhetorical  and  intended  to 
suggest  the  folly  of  current  views  and  practices  in  religion.  The 
popular  thought  of  Jehovah  represented  him  as  a  king,  into  whose 
presence  one  might  not  come  without  a  gift ;  cf.  Exod.  23:15; 
34  :  20 ;  I  Sam.  6  :  2  ff . ;  10  :  3  f . ;  25:27;  2  Sam.  16  :  i  f.  This 
was  essentially  a  commercialized  view  of  Jehovah ;  his  favor  was 
for  sale  to  the  highest  bidder.  Against  this  the  prophets  set  them- 
selves with  one  consent. 

7.  The  value  of  the  gifts  is  here  greatly  increased,  the  series 
culminating  in  the  offering  of  the  firstborn.  Human  sacrifice  was 
practised  in  Israel  from  very  early  times  until  a  relatively  late 
date;  cf.  Exod.  13  :  13 ;  Gen.  22:13;  Judg.  11  :  34  ff. ;  2  Kings 
3:27;  16:3;  21  :  2  ff. ;  Jer.  7:21;  19:5;  Ezek.  16  :  20 ;  20  :  26 ; 
Isa.  57  :  5.  The  practice  seems  to  have  been  most  prevalent  in  the 
time  of  Manasseh.  The  tremendous  religious  significance  of  such 
a  sacrifice  must  not  be  overlooked.     Such  offerings  are  not  made 


THE  BOOK  OF   MICAH  6:9 


8.  He  hath  shewed  thee/  O  man,  what  is  good ; 

and  what  doth  the  Lord  require  of  thee, 
But  to  do  justly,  and  to  love  mercy, 
and  to  walk  humbly  ^  with  thy  God  ? 

XVII.  The  Sin  of  Jerusalem  and  the  Coming 
Judgment,  6 : 9-16 

9.  The  voice  of  the  Lord  crieth  unto  the  city, 

and  the  man  of  wisdom  ^  w^ill  see  ^  thy  ^  name  : 
Hear  ye  the  rod,  and  who  hath  appointed  it.^ 

1  Syr.  and  Vg.  7  will  shew  thee.  Or.  if  it  have  been  shown  thee.  2  Gr.  and  Syr.  and 
to  be  ready.  ^  Gr.  and  will  save.  '^  Gr.  those  fearing;  similarly  Vg.  and  Syr.  _  s  Gr., 
Tg.  and  Syr.  his.  ^  Gr.  and  who  will  adorn  a  city?  Vg.  aiid  who  will  approve  it?  Syr. 
a}id  who  bears  witness?    Tg.  and  the  rest  of  tlie  people  of  tlie  land. 

by  men  who  v/ear  their  religion  lightly.  But  they  are  the  ex- 
pression of  a  wrong  idea  of  God  and  cannot,  therefore,  find  favor 
with  him. 

8.  After  the  foregoing  negations  there  now  follows  the  positive 
requirement.  Good  and  obedience  to  the  will  of  Jehovah  are 
here  made  synonymous  terms ;  such  was  always  the  Hebrew  point 
of  viev/.  The  content  of  religion  as  here  set  forth  had  been 
preached  by  Amos  (5:  24),  Hosea  (6:6),  Isaiah  (chap.  6),  and 
Deuteronomy  (10:12-22;  22:1-4).  But  this  is  the  greatest 
single  saying  in  the  Old  Testament.  It  makes  ethics  and  simple 
piety  to  be  the  essential  factors  in  religion  and  it  breathes  the 
spirit  of  the  Gospel;  cf.  Math.  22  :  34-40;  Jas.  i  :  27.  It  trans- 
fers the  emphasis  in  religion  from  external  actions  to  inner 
spirit.  It  ties  duty  toward  God  inseparably  to  duty  toward 
man.  It  puts  the  whole  force  of  the  religious  idea  at  the  service 
of  morality. 

This  section  (6 :  Q-16)  is  wholly  disconnected  from  the  previous 
one.  That  dealt  with  instruction  ;  this,  with  denunciation.  Its  date 
cannot  be  determined.  It  would  suit  any  age  from  the  days  of 
Amos  dov/n  to  the  end.  It  seems  to  presuppose  some  great  danger 
to  Jerusalem  close  at  hand ;  but  occasions  of  that  kind  were  ever 
recurring. 

9.  The  voice  of  the  Lord  crieth ;  better,  hark,  Jehovah  crieth. 
The  city ;  evidentl}^  Jerusalem.  And  the  man  of  wisdom  will  see 
thy  name.     This  is  hardly  susceptible  of    sensible  interpretation. 


6: 10  THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


10.  Are  there  yet  ^  the  treasures  of  wickedness  in  the 

house  of  the  wicked, 
and  the  scant  measure  that  is  abominable  ?  ^ 

11.  Shall  I  ^  be  pure  with  wicked  balances, 

and  with  a  bag  of  deceitful  weights  ? 

12.  For  the  rich  men  thereof  ^  are  full  of  violence, 

and  the  inhabitants  thereof  have  spoken  lies, 
and  their  tongue  is  deceitful  in  their  mouth. 

^Gx.  is  there  fire;  similarly  Syr.  and  Vg.  ^  Gt.  and  unjust  things  with  scorn.  Vg. 
and  the  small  measure  full  of  wrath.  ^  Gr.  he.  Syr.  and  Tg.  they.  *  Gr.  for  their 
wealth. 

The  Hebrew  can  only  be  rendered,  he  who  sees  thy  name  is  strong; 
and  "  see  thy  name  "  is  a  strange  idiom.  It  is  better  to  make  a 
slight  change  and  read,  it  is  success  to  fear  thy  name.  This  is  a 
common  sentiment;  cf.  Prov.  1:7;  9:10;  14:27;  Ps.  34:11; 
III :  10,  Hear  ye  the  rod,  and  who  hath  appointed  it;  if  this  be 
correct,  the  rod  is  a  concrete  representation  of  the  punishment 
decreed  by  Jehovah.  But  aside  from  this,  there  are  difficulties 
of  grammar.  It  is  better,  following  the  Greek  and  Targum,  to 
render,  hear,  0  tribe,  and  the  assembly  of  the  city.  This  is  a  call 
parallel  to  that  of  the  first  line  of  the  section.  The  "  assembly  " 
was  the  general  meeting  of  citizens  for  the  consideration  of  ques- 
tions of  public  policy. 

10.  Are  there  yet  the  treasiires  of  wickedness  in  the  house  of 
the  wicked ;  better,  with  some  modification  of  text,  can  I  forget 
the  treasures  in  the  house  of  the  wicked?  Such  ill-gotten  gains  are 
always  thrusting  themselves  upon  Jehovah's  attention  and 
rendering  it  impossible  for  him  to  show  favor.  And  the  scant 
measure  that  is  abominable ;  a  very  common  crime  in  Israel  and 
one  easily  perpetrated  in  days  when  rigidly  fixed  standards  were 
unknown  and  when  police  power  did  not  exist  for  the  enforcement 
of  such  laws ;   cf.  Am.  8:5;   Deut.  25  :  14-16. 

11.  Shall  I  be  pure,  etc. ;  better,  can  I  treat  as  pure  him  with, 
etc.;  cf.  Ps.  18:  26.  The  people  of  Israel  need  not  expect  the 
rewards  of  a  pious  and  just  life,  while  they  are  full  of  lies  and 
cheating. 

12.  Thereof;  i.e.  of  the  city  addressed  in  vs.  9.  The  wealthy 
have  grown  rich  through  oppression  and  injustice;  cf.  Am.  3  :  10; 
6:3;  Zeph.  1:9;  The  inhabitants,  all  without  discrimination, 
have  spoken  lies ;  the  rich  were  oppressive ;  the  common  people 
seek  the  same  ends  by  lying  and  cheating;  all  are  equally  bad. 

202 


THE  BOOK  OF   MICAH 


13.  Therefore  I  also  have  smitten  thee  with  a  grievous 

wound ; ^ 
I  have  made  thee  desolate  because  of  thy  sins. 

14.  Thou  shalt  eat,  but  not  be  satisfied ; 

and  thy  humiliation  ^  shall  be  in  the  midst  of  thee : 
And  thou  shalt  remove,^  but  shalt  not  carry  away 
>  safe ; 

and  that  which  thou  carriest  away  will  I  give  up  to 
the  sword. 

15.  Thou  shalt  sow,  but  shalt  not  reap : 

thou  shalt  tread  the  olives,  but  shalt  not  anoint  thee 

with  oil ; 
and  the  vintage,  but  shalt  not  drink  the  wine.^ 

16.  For  the  statutes  of  Omri  are  kept,^ 

1  Gr.  /  will  begin  to  smite  thee.  ?■  m.  thy  emptiness.  Gr.  it  will  he  dark.  Syr.  thy 
dysentery.  ^  Vg.  seize;  so  Syr.,  Tg.  ^  Gr.  and  Syr.  omit  the  wine.  ^  Gr.,  Syr., 
Tg.  and  Vg.  thou  keepest. 

13.  Therefore  I  also  have  smitten  thee  with  a  grievous 
wound ;  better,  after  the  Greek,  I  will  begin  to  smite  thee,  a  threat 
of  what  is  about  to  befall  Jerusalem.  I  have  made  thee  desolate; 
better,  continuing  the  preceding  sentence,  to  lay  thee  in  ruins. 

14.  Thou  shalt  eat,  etc. ;  shut  up  in  a  besieged  city,  the  supplj' 
of  food  will  run  short.  And  thy  humiliation ;  this  word  is  wholly 
unknown ;  the  context  seems  better  satisfied  b}"  some  such  render- 
ing as  "  thy  hunger"  or  "  thy  emptiness."  Thou  shalt  remove, 
etc. ;  all  attempts  to  escape  with  their  goods  will  fail.  Destruc- 
tion awaits  ail. 

15.  The  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  their  labors  will  be  denied 
them,  because  of  the  approach  of  invading  foes  ;  cf.  Deut,  28  :  30  ff. 
This  is  the  only  passage  which  directly  mentions  the  treading  of 
the  olives ;  cf .  Joel.  2  :  24.  The  finest  oil  was  beaten  out ;  Exod. 
27:  20;  Lev.  24:  2.  But  the  greater  quantity  was  trodden  out. 
Anoint  thee  with  oil;  a  common  practice  in  hot  climates;  cf. 
Am.  6:2;    2  Sam.  12  :  20 ;    14 :  2  ;    Ruth  $:  Z'l    2  Chron.  28  :  15. 

16.  The  statutes  of  Omri;  no  specific  laws  are  elsewhere 
credited  to  Omri.  It  is  probable  that  this  simply  means  that  the 
life  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem  is  reproducing  that  of  the  Northern 
Kingdom,  the  sins  of  which  brought  ruin  in  721  B.C.     Omri  and 

203 


THE   BOOK   OF   MICAH 


and  all  the  works  of  the  house  of  Ahab, 
and  ye  walk  in  their  counsels : 
That  I  should  make  thee  a  desolation/ 
and  the  inhabitants  thereof  an  hissing ; 
and  ye  shall  bear  the  reproach  of  my  people.^ 

XVIII.  The  Faithlessness  of  Israel,  7 : 1-6 

1.  Woe  is  me  !  for  I  am 

as  when  they  have  gathered  ^  the  summer  fruits,  as 
the  grape  gleanings  of  the  vintage : 
There  is  no  cluster  to  eat ; 

my  soul  desireth  the  firstripe  fig.^ 

2.  The  godly  man  is  perished  out  of  the  earth, 

and  there  is  none  upright  among  men : 
They  all  lie  in  wait  ^  for  blood ;  ^ 

they  hunt^  every  man  his  brother  with  a  net.^ 

1  m.  an  astonishment.  2  Gr.  of  peoples.  ^  Gr.  and  Vg.  as  one  who  gathers.  *  m. 
nor  firstripe  fig  which  my  soul  desired.  5  Gr.  all  strive.  ^  Syr.  omits /or  blood.  ''  Gr. 
oppress.       8  Gr.  with  oppression.    Vg.  to  death.     Syr.  and  Tg.  to  destruction. 

Ahab  are  named  as  the  strongest  and  most  representative  kings 
of  the  north.  That  I  should  make  thee  a  desolation,  etc. ;  a 
common  Hebrew  point  of  view,  which  attributes  what  was  the 
inevitable,  though  undesigned,  consequence  of  an  act  to  the  delib- 
erate purpose  of  the  actor.  The  reproach  of  my  people ;  better, 
with  the  Greek,  the  scorn  of  the  peoples,  i.e.  the  surrounding  na- 
tions will  laugh  Judah  to  scorn  in  the  midst  of  her  woes. 

The  date  of  this  section  (7  : 1-6)  cannot  be  definitely  indicated. 
The  general  situation  reflected  seems  to  be  more  easily  explained  as 
belonging  to  the  post-exilic  age.  But  a  better  knowledge  of 
Israel's  history  might  reveal  a  pre-exilic  period  which  could  be 
characterized  as  here. 

1.  Zion  is  here  speaking'  and  says,  /  am  become  like  the 
gatherings  of  the  summer  fruit,  like  the  gleanings  of  the  vintage. 
There  is  not  a  cluster  to  eat,  not  an  early  fig  that  my  soul  desires. 
Zion  likens  herself  to  one  seeking  fruit  after  the  fruit  harvest  is 
past,  doomed  to  the  pangs  of  disappointment  and  hunger. 

2.  The  godly  and    the  upright  are    those  represented  by  the 

204 


THE   BOOK   OF   MICAH 


7:4 


3.  Their  hands  are  upon  that  which  is  evil  ^  to  do  it 

diligently ;  ^ 
the  prince  asketh,  and  the   judge  is  ready  for  a 
reward;^ 
And  the  great  man,  he  uttereth  the  mischief  of  his  soul: 
thus  they  weave  it  together.^ 

4.  The  best  of  them  is  as  a  brier :  ^ 

the  most  upright  ^  is  worse  than  a  thorn  hedge  :  ^ 

1  m.  both  hands  are  put  forth  for  evil.  2  gyr.  their  hands  they  make  ready  for  evil  and 
they  do  not  good.  Gr.  they  made  ready  their  hands  unto  evil.  Vg.  over  the  evil  of  their 
hands  they  say  good.  ^  Syr.  the  prince  asks,  give;  and  the  judge  says,  give  a  bribe.  *  Gr. 
and  I  will  take  away.  Syr.  and  they  reject.  Vg.  they  have  confused  it.  ^  Gr.  as  a  de- 
vouring moth.  Syr.  like  a  rag.  ^  Syr.  which  is  torn  in  pieces.  Gr.  and  travels  slowly. 
^  m.  the  straightest  is,  as  it  were,  taken  from  a  thorn  hedge.  Syr.  by  the  moth.  Vg. 
like  a  thorn  from  a  hedge.     Gr.  according  to  a  canon. 

"  grapes  "  and  "  figs  "  of  vs.  i.  The  earth  is  rather  Ihe  land,  i.e. 
Palestine.  For  a  similarly  hopeless  state  of  society,  cf.  Ps.  12:2; 
Isa.  57:1;  Jer.  5:1.  They  all  lie  in  wait  for  blood,  etc. ;  the 
methods  of  the  hunter  are  here  described  as  representative  of  the 
heartless  devices  by  which  Israelites  seek  to  obtain  the  advantage 
one  over  another.  They  are  mad  with  lust  for  wealth.  Human 
rights  are  ignored. 

3.  Their  hands  are  upon  that  which  is  evil  to  do  it  diligently; 
better,  following  the  Greek,  they  have  made  ready  their  hands  to  do 
evil.  The  accused  have  deliberately  prepared  themselves  for 
evil  deeds;  cf.  Jer.  4:  22;  13:  23.  The  prince  asketh  and  the 
judge  is  ready  for  a  reward ;  the  words  is  ready  are  not  in  the 
Hebrew ;  the  original  text  was  probably,  the  prince  asks  for  a 
bribe,  the  phrase  and  the  judge  having  been  inserted  later  to 
show  what  aspect  of  the  prince's  activity  is  meant  ;  cf.  2  Sam. 
15  :  2  ff. ;  I  Kings  3  :  16  fit*.  Bribery  seems  to  be  the  inveterate 
habit  of  the  Oriental.  And  the  great  man,  etc. ;  the  wealthy 
and  influential  individual  expresses  his  wish  and  it  is  realized  for 
him  by  the  judges  whose  decisions  are  for  sale.  Thus  they  weave 
it  together ;  the  precise  meaning  of  the  Hebrew  here  is  dubious, 
but  the  general  sense  must  be  that  through  the  conspiracy  of  the 
ruling  classes  the  ordinary  citizen  is  in  devious  ways  robbed  of  his 
rights. 

4.  The  best  of  them  is  as  a  brier ;  rough  and  ugly  to  deal  with, 
but  at  the  same  time  susceptible  to  easy  and  quick  destruction ; 
cf.  Exod.  22:6;  Isa.  9  :  18;  10  :  17.  The  most  upright  is  worse 
than  a  thorn  hedge ;    this  does  not  represent  the  Hebrew,  which 

205 


7:5  THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


The  day  of  thy  watchmen/  even   thy  visitation,  ^ 
is  come ; 
now  shall  be  their  perplexity.^ 

5.  Trust  ye  not  in  a  friend, 

put  ye  not  confidence  in  a  guide : 
Keep  the  doors  of  thy  mouth 
from  her  that  lieth  in  thy  bosom. 

6.  For  the  son  dishonoureth  the  father, 

the  daughter  riseth  up  against  her  mother. 
The  daughter  in  law  against  her  mother  in  law ; 
a  man's  enemies  are  the  men  of  his  own  house. 

XIX.  The  Downfall  of  the  Foe,  7 :  7-10 

7.  But  as  for  me,  I  will  look  unto  the  Lord  ;  ^ 

I  will  wait  for  the  God  of  my  salvation :  ^ 

1  Gr.  on  the  day  of  watching.    Vg.  the  day  of  thy  watching.  2  Gr.  alas,  alas,  thy 

vengeances.  ^  Gr.  their  wailings.  Vg.  their  devastation.  ^  m.  In  the  Lord  will  I  keep 
watch.      2  Qr.^  gy-.  and  Vg.  God  my  saviour. 

says  more  just  than  a  hedge,  yielding  no  sense.  It  is  better,  with  a 
slight  correction,  to  read,  the  most  upright  of  them  is  like  a  hedge, 
suggestive  of  roughness  or  obstruction;  cf.  Prov.  15:19.  The 
day  of  thy  watchmen,  etc. ;  viz.  thy  prophets,  who  from  the  be- 
ginning have  announced  the  coming  of  the  day  of  Jehovah.  Their 
perplexity;   or  their  rout. 

5.  Agiiide;  better,  an  intimate.  In  ascending  climax  ending 
with  the  wife,  the  faithlessness  of  all  men,  even  one's  most  in- 
tim.ate  friends  and  relatives,  is  pointed  out.  There  is  no  slur  upon 
woman  especially ;    she  simply  shares  the  general  depravity. 

6.  Insubordination  and  lack  of  filial  piety  were  unpardonable 
sins  among  Semites;  cf.  Exod.  20:12;  21:15,  17;  Deut.  21  : 
18  ff.;  Lev.  20:9;  Prov.  20:  20;  and  the  Code  of  Hammurabi, 
§§  186,  192,  195. 

This  section  (7  :  7-10)  originated  somewhere  in  the  exilic  or  post- 
exilic  age.  Israel  is  no  longer  looking  forward  to  punishment,  but 
is  already  enduring  it.  The  later  attitude  of  bitterness  toward 
the  nations  is  plainly  present  here. 

7.  The  I  of  this  vs.  is  contrasted  with  something  else ;  but  no 
satisfactory  contrast  is  present  in  this  context.     The  vs.  is  appar- 

206 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH  7:10 


8.  my  God  will  hear  me. 

Rejoice  not  against  me,  O  mine  enemy : 

when  I  fall,  I  shall  arise ; 
When  I  sit  in  darkness, 

the  Lord  shall  be  a  light  unto  me. 

9.  I  will  bear  the  indignation  of  the  Lord, 

because  I  have  sinned  against  him ; 
Until  he  plead  my  cause, 

and  execute  judgement  for  me : 
He  will  bring  me  forth  to  the  light, 

and  I  shall  behold  his  righteousness. 
10.   Then  mine  enemy  shall  see  it, 

and  shame  shall  cover  her 


ently  a  fragment  originally  belonging  to  some  other  context. 
The  speaker  may  be  either  an  individual  in  distress  or  the  Jewish 
community  which  is  expressing  its  confidence  in  the  coming  of 
Jehovah's  aid. 

8.  Mine  enemy;  probably  a  collective  term,  including  all  of 
Judah's  enemies.  I  shall  arise ;  such  faith  in  Jehovah  and  con- 
fidence regarding  the  future  were  characteristic  of  all  the  later 
prophets.  It  is  one  of  the  marvels  of  history.  Darkness  and 
light  commonly  represent  calamity  and  prosperity  respectively; 
cf.  Am.  5:18;   Isa.  62  :  i  ff. ;   Job  30  :  26. 

9.  I  will  bear;  or  /  must  hear.  All  Semites  attributed  mis- 
fortunes, national  or  individual,  to  the  anger  of  the  gods.  Israel 
was  keenly  conscious  of  the  burden  of  Jehovah's  wrath;  cf.  2 
Kings  23  :  26  f . ;  24  :  20 ;  Isa.  42  :  24  f .  Until  he  plead  my  cause, 
etc.;  Jehovah's  anger  will  not  last  forever.  When  his  wrath 
against  Judah  is  satisfied,  he  will  take  up  her  cause  against  the 
nations,  to  the  utter  confusion  of  the  latter;  cf.  Ps.  103:9; 
Zech.  I  :  15  f.  His  righteousness  is  here,  as  in  Isa.  chaps.  4o-55> 
equivalent  to  Israel's  vindication.  The  piety  of  Israel,^  as^  com- 
pared with  the  nations,  makes  it  incumbent  upon  the  justice  of 
God  to  vindicate  her  against  her  foes.  Only  so  can  he  be  right- 
eous. 

10.  The  vindication  of  Israel  involves  the  putting  to  shame  of 
her  foes.  There  are  combined  here  the  joy  of  seeing  Jehovah's 
enemies  overwhelmed  and  the  satisfaction  for  which  the  long 
oppressed  human  spirit  cries   out;    cf.    Nah.   chap.   3;    Ps.  109; 

207 


II  THE   BOOK   OF   MICAH 


Which  said  unto  me, 

where  is  the  Lord  thy  God  ? 
Mine  eyes  shall  behold  her: 

now  shall  she  be  trodden  down 

as  the  mire  of  the  streets. 

XX.   Restoration  and  Return,  7:11-13 

11.  A  day  for  building  thy  walls/ 

in  that  day  shall  the  decree  ^  be  far  removed. 

12.  In  that  day  shall  they  come  unto  thee,^ 

from  Assyria  and  the  cities  of  Egypt,'* 
And  from  Egypt  ^  even  to  the  River, 

and  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  mountain  ^  to  ^  moun- 
tain. 

13.  Yet  shall  the  land  be  desolate 

because  of  them  that  dwell  therein,  for  the  fruit  of 
their  doings. 

1  m.  in  the  day  that  thy  walls  are  to  he  built.  2  m.  boundary.  3  Q]-_  come  thy  cities. 
Syr.  come  thy  time.  *  Gr.,  Syr.,  Vg.  and  Tg.  the  border.  ^  Gr.  and  unto  a  division 
from  Tyre;  similarly  Syr.       ^  Syr.  a}id  Eor.       '  Gr.  and  Vg. /row. 

and  Obadiah.  Where  is  the  Lord  thy  God?  a  stereotyped  taunt  at 
the  powerlessness  of  Jehovah;  cf.  2  Kings  18:34;  Joel  2:  17; 
Ps.  79:  10;  115:  2.  Behold  her,  or  gaze  upon  her,  with  gloating 
satisfaction;   cf.  Chad.  vss.  12,  13;    Ezek.  28:  17;    Ps.   22:  18. 

This  prophecy  (7:11-13)  originated  somewhere  in  the  period 
between  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  in  586  B.C.  and  the  rebuilding  of  the 
walls  in  the  days  of  Nehemiah;   cf.  vs.  11. 

11.  A  day  for  building  thy  v/alls ;  the  address  is  to  Jerusalem, 
which  is  promised  that  the  walls  now  shattered  will  be  restored. 
In  that  day  shall  the  decree  be  far  removed;  better,  will  the 
boundary  be  far  distant.    An  expansion  of  territory  is  here  promised. 

12.  From  Assyria  and  the  cities  of  Egypt;  better,  with  an 
easy  correction  of  the  text,  from  Assyria  even  to  Egypt.  This 
assures  the  return  of  the  Jewish  exiles  from  all  over  the  Oriental 
world.  Even  to  the  River,  i.e.  the  Euphrates.  From  sea  to 
sea,  etc. ;  no  particular  seas  and  mountains  are  meant.  It  is 
rather  an  indefinite  expression  equivalent  to  "  from  one  end  of  the 
world  to  the  other." 

208 


THE  BOOK  OF  MICAH 


7:15 


XXI.   A  Prayer  for  Jehovah's  Aid,  7  :  14-20 

14.  Feed  ^  thy  people  with  thy  rod,  the  flock  of  thine 

heritage, 
which  dwell  solitarily,  in  the  forest  ^  in  the  midst  of 
Carmel : 
Let  them  feed  in  Bashan  and  Gilead,  as  in  the  days 
of  old. 

15.  as  in  the  days  of  thy  ^  coming  forth  out  of  the  land 

of  ^  Egypt  will  I  show  unto  him  ^  marvellous 
things. 


1  m.  rule.      2  Syr.  solitarily,  sheep.       ^  Syr.  and  Tg.  their.      *  Gr.  omits  the  land  of. 
5  Gr.  ye  shall  see.     Syr.  and  Tg.  /  will  shew  them. 


13.  The  land;  better,  the  earth;  not  Canaan,  but  the  earth  in 
general,  where  the  foes  of  Israel  dwell ;  cf.  Jer.  49  :  13,  17  ;  50  :  23  ; 
Zeph.  2:13,  15;  Joel  3:19.  Their  doings;  which  have  been 
from  the  prophets'  point  of  view  essentially  evil. 

This  closing  section  of  the  book  (7 :  14-20)  seems  to  have  come 
from  the  later  days.  The  people  are  in  reduced  circumstances 
and  long  for  a  manifestation  of  Jehovah's  power  in  their  behalf. 
They  crave  vengeance  upon  their  oppressors.  This  passage  and 
vss.  9-10  reflect  the  same  general  attitude  and  may  well  have 
come  from  the  same  times. 

14.  Feed,  or  shepherd;  cf.  Ps.  23 :  i  ff. ;  28:9.  Thy  rod, 
or  thy  staff,  the  shepherd's  crook.  Thine  heritage ;  or  thy 
possession;  cf.  Isa.  63:17;  Jer.  10:16;  Deut.  4:20;  9:26. 
Carmel ;  better,  a  garden ;  the  figure  is  representative  of  Israel 
confined  to  the  bare  hilltops  of  Judah,  access  to  the  fertile  plains 
being  cut  off,  since  these  are  held  by  foes.  Let  them  feed,  or 
7nay  they  feed;  the  prayer  is  that  Israel  may  be  given  back  all  its 
former  territory,  even  the  regions  east  of  the  Jordan,  which 
were  lost  irrevocably  in  734  B.C. 

15.  Thy  coming  forth;  the  Exodus  is  thus  represented  also  in 
Judg.  5  :  4.  Will  I  show  unto  him ;  Jehovah  must  be  the  speaker, 
but  this  is  irreconcilable  with  "  thy  coming  forth."  Hence,  it 
seems  necessary  to  read  as  an  imperative,  viz.  show  us.  The 
prophet  pleads  for  Jehovah's  marvellous  interposition,  as  in  the 
wonderful  days  of  old. 

P  209 


THE   BOOK   OF   MICAH 


1 6.  The  nations  shall  see  and  be  ashamed  of  all  their 

might : 
they  shall  lay  their  hand  upon  their  mouth,  their 
ears  shall  be  deaf. 

17.  They  shall  lick  the  dust  Hke  a  serpent;   like  ^  crawl- 

ing things  of  the  earth 
they  shall  come  trembling  out  of  their  close  places :  ^ 
They  shall  come  with  fear  unto  the  Lord  our  God, 
and  shall  be  afraid  because  of  thee.^ 

18.  Who   is   a   God   like   unto   thee,   that  pardoneth 

iniquity,  and  passeth  by  the  transgression  of  the 
remnant  of  his  heritage  ? 
He  *  retaineth  not  his  anger  for  ever,^  because  he  ^ 
delighteth  in  mercy. 

1  Gr.  omits  like.  2  gyr.  from  their  paths.  Gr.  in  their  den.  ^  Syr.  omits  because 
of  thee.      *  Syr.  thou.      ^  Gr.  for  a  witness. 

16.  The  nations  shall  see,  etc. ;  it  is  better  here,  and  in  vs.  17, 
to  translate  the  verbs  as  precatives,  viz.  7nay  the  nations  see  and  he 
ashamed  of  all  their  might;  may  they  lay  hand  upon  mouth;  and 
may  their  ears  be  deaf.  The  vaunted  power  of  the  nations  is  so 
puny  in  comparison  with  that  of  Jehovah,  that  a  revelation  of  the 
latter  to  them  would  paralyze  all  their  powers;  cf.  Judg.  18:  19; 
Isa.  52:15;   Job  21:5;    29:9;   40:4. 

17.  They  shall  lick;  or  better,  may  they  lick  dust,  etc.,  i.e. 
prostrate  themselves  upon  the  ground  before  Jehovah.  They 
shall  come  trembling  out  of  their  close  places ;  or  may  they  come 
trembling  out  of  their  dens,  whither  they  will  have  fled  in  terror. 
The  state  of  mind  called  for  in  this  and  the  following  pleas  is  one 
eminently  fitting  for  the  nations  that  had  so  long  taunted  Israel 
with  the  powerlessness  of  her  God. 

18.  Who  is  a  God  like  unto  thee;  a  common  thought  in  the 
Old  Testament ;  cf.  Exod.  15  :  11 ;  Ps.  71:19;  77:  14;  86:8. 
The  point  of  comparison  elsewhere  is  always  the  power  of  Jehovah  ; 
here  it  is  his  mercy.  Yet  the  thought  of  this  power  has  been 
strongly  expressed  in  vss.  16  and  17.  But  this  forgiving  mercy  is 
limited  to  the  remnant  of  his  heritage ;  viz.  the  survivors  of 
afflicted  Judah.  He  retaineth  not  his  anger  for  ever,  etc. ;  a 
common  idea  in  the  Psalter;    e.g.  25:  lo;    30:6;    32:  10. 


THE   BOOK  OF  MICAH  7-20 


19.  He  will  turn  again  and  have  compassion  upon  us; 

he  will  tread  ^  our  iniquities  under  foot : 
and  thou  2  wilt  cast  all  their  ^  sins  into  the  depths 
of  the  sea. 

20.  Thou  wilt  perform  "^  the  truth  ^  to  Jacob,  arid  the 

mercy  to  Abraham, 
which  thou  hast  sworn  unto  our  fathers  from  ^  the 
days  of  old. 

1  m.  subdue.  Syr.  and  he  will  gather  together.  2  Syr.,  Tg.  and  Vg.  he.  Gr.  they  will 
be.  3  Qr.,  Syr.  and  Vg.  our.  *  Gr.  he  will  give.  ^  m.  thou  wilt  shew  thy  faithful- 
ness,      fi  Gr.  according  to. 

19.  He  will  turn  again  and  have  compassion  upon  us;  better, 
he  will  again  show  us  mercy.  His  kindness  of  old  warrants  faith 
in  its  repetition.  Tread  our  iniquities  under  foot ;  as  though  they 
were  serpents  or  enemies  of  some  other  kind  to  be  overthrown. 
Such  treatment  of  sins  is  not  elsewhere  mentioned  in  the  Old 
Testament.     Their  sins ;   better,  with  the  versions,  our  sins. 

20.  Jacob  and  Abraham  here  represent  the  existing  commu- 
nity of  their  descendants.  These  names  recall  the  kindness  of 
Jehovah  in  the  past;  cf.  Exod.  34:  6.  Which  thou  hast  sworn, 
etc. ;  referring  perhaps  to  Gen.  22  :  16  ff.  and  28  :  13  f.  in  particular, 
but  in  general  to  all  the  prophets'  promises. 


INDEX   TO    COMMENTARY   ON   AMOS, 
ROSEA,    AND    MICAH 


INDEX 


Achor,  96. 
Achzib,  176  f. 
Adam,  113. 
Admah,  139. 
Adullam,  177. 
Ahab,  204. 
Anamon,  21. 
Amorite,  26. 
Analysis  of  Amos,  i. 

Hosea,  71  f. 

Micah,  158. 
Ar  of  Moab,  23. 
Ashdod,  18. 
Asherim,  198. 
Ashkelon,  18. 

Assyria,  46  f.,  48,  76  £.,  195. 
Aven,  17,  134. 

Baal-peor,  129. 
Babylon,  190, 
Bashan,  33. 
Beer-sheba,  40,  62. 
Beth-aven,  109,  133. 
Bethel,  32,  35,  40,  109,  136  f. 
Beth-ezel,  175. 
Bethlehem,  193. 
Bozrah,  20. 
Bribery,  185  f.,  205. 
Burial,  22,  59. 

Calf- worship,  121  f. 
Caphtor,  65. 
Carmel,  15,  63. 
Cypress,  154. 

Damascus,  16,  17, 
Date  of  Amos,  4. 


Date  of  Hosea,  75,  87. 

Micah,  161  f. 
Day  of  Jehovah,  11,  44,  60,  67,  184. 
Debtors,  25. 
Dirge,  39. 
Drought,  1 01. 

Earthquake,  15,  27. 
Eclipse  of  sun,  4. 
Edom,  20,  22,  67. 
Ekron,  18. 
Ephah,  59. 
Ephod,  100,  104. 
Ephrathah,  193. 

False  prophets,  184. 
Famine,  36. 
Filial  piety,  206. 

Gath,  48. 

Gaza,  18. 

Gibeah,  109. 

Gilead,  114,  145. 

Gilgal,  130,  14s,  199. 

God,  Amos's  idea  of,  g,  28,  32,  65. 

Hosea's  idea  of,  84  f. 

Micah's  idea  of,  165  fi.,  186. 
Gomer,  88. 

Hamath,  52. 
Harmon,  34. 
Hope,  of  Amos,  12. 

Hosea,  73. 

Micah,  167. 
Human  sacrifice,  200. 

Image- worship,  104,  106. 
Incense-ofierings,  104. 

215 


INDEX 


Jareb,  no,  133. 

Prosperity  of  Israel,  6, 

131,  144. 

Jewelry,  95. 

Judah,  164. 

Jezreel,  89. 

Puns,  58,  105,  150. 

Judah,  23,  52,  87,  89,  141 

172. 

Rabbah,  21. 

Kerioth,  23. 

Rain,  36. 

Kir,  17. 

Ramah,  109. 
Righteousness  of  God, 

207. 

Landmarks,  no. 

Ritual,  9,  32,  35,  40, 

45,   55,    103, 

Late  passages,  2,  16,  19, 

20,  24 

41, 

113,  124. 

46,  50,  64,  65,  66, 

57,  89, 

90, 

103,    115,    125,    142, 

152, 

154, 

Samaria,  173. 

158  f.,  171,  173,   179 

181, 

182, 

Sargon,  109. 

186,    188,    191,    194, 

196, 

198, 

Sennacherib,  163,  197. 

200,  204,  206,  208,  209. 

Shalman,  136. 

Licentiousness,  104. 

Shalmaneser,  5. 

Literature,  on  Amos,  12  f 

Shaphir,  175, 

on  Hosea,  85  f. 

Shekel,  59. 

on  Micah,  169  f. 

Shittim,  199. 
Slave-trade,  18. 

Mareshah,  177. 

Style  of  Amos,  3. 

Maroth,  176. 

of  Hosea,  74  f. 

Marriage  of  Hosea,  78  flf., 

88. 

of  Micah,  157  f. 

Memphis,  127. 

Sycomore,  57. 

Message,  of  Amos,  8, 

Syria,  43- 

Hosea,  83  f. 

Micah,  165  S. 

Tabor,  107. 

Messianism,  193,  196. 

Tekoa,  7,  i5- 

Miriam,  199. 

Teman,  20. 

Mizpah,  107. 

Teraphim,  100,  104. 

Moab,  22,  23. 

Text  of  Amos,  3. 

Moabite  stone,  22. 

Hosea,  73  f. 

Moresheth-Gath,  176. 

Micah,  157,  174. 

Mourning,  186. 

Threshing  instruments, 

17. 

Music,  45,  49. 

Tithes,  35. 
Tyre,  19. 

Name  of  God,  51. 

Nazirite,  27. 

Unity  of  Amos,  2. 

Nimrod,  195. 

Hosea,  72  f. 
Micah,  158  f. 

Olives,  203. 

Omri,  203, 

Wine,  48,  126,  153. 

Philistines,  65. 

Zaanan,  175. 

Pillars,  131. 

Zeboim,  139. 

Poetry  of  Hosea,  74  f. 

Zion,  186. 

216 


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in  harmony  with  the  present  age,  wherein  all  science  is  studied  historically  ;  and, 
furthermore,  the  transition  from  the  traditional  to  the  historical  view  will  be 
furthered  through  the  production  of  such  aids  to  Bible  study  as  those  under 
review,  rather  than  through  theoretical  discussions  on  the  relative  merits  of  the 
respective  views."  —  Lutheran  Quarterly. 


Acts 


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The  Bible  for  Home  and  School 

VOLUMES  NOW  READY  — Continued 

Genesis 

By  HINCKLEY  GILBERT  MITCHELL,  Ph.D.,  D.D.,  Professor  of  He- 
brew and  Old  Testament  Exegesis  in  Boston  University. 

C7oik,  37  J  pages.     Price,  go  cents  jiet;  by  mail,  97  cents 

"  The  introduction  to  this  volume  on  Genesis  gives  the  very  best  and  clearest 
analysis  of  the  book,  according  to  the  'modern  critical  theories,'  to  be  had 
anywhere."  —  Tite  tresbyterian. 

"  Genesis  has  always  been  one  of  the  most  popular  books  of  the  Bible,  yet  in 
some  ways  it  is  one  of  the  most  difl&cult.  These  difficulties  arise  partly  from  the 
book  itself  and  partly  from  the  popular  conception  of  the  book.  It  takes 
scholarship  to  handle  the  first  class  of  difficulties,  and  courage  the  second  ;  and 
Dr.  Mitchell  has  both  scholarship  and  courage.  .  .  .  The  notes  are  learned  and 
brief  and  have  a  vivacity  that  makes  Genesis  seem  quite  a  modern  book."  — 
Boston  Transcript. 


Galatians 


By  BENJAMIN  WISNER  BACON,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  New  Testa- 
ment  criticism  and  exegesis  in  Yale  University. 

Cloth,  ij^  pages.     Price,  ^o  cents  net;  by  ?nail,  JJ  cents 

"Learned,  vigorous,  and  stimulating."  —  American  Journal  of  Theology. 

"  We  know  of  no  commentary  which  gives  a  better  exposition  in  so  brief  a  com- 
pass." —  The  Reform  Church  Review. 


Colossians  and  Ephesians 


By  GROSS  ALEXANDER,  Editor  of  T/ie  Methodist  Revieiv. 

Cloth,  132  pages.     Price,  jo  cents ;  by  mail,  jj*  cents 

"Judging  from  the  volimies  that  have  appeared,  the  general  editor  of  these 
commentaries  has  been  very  successful  in  getting  commentators  who  have  the 
skill  so  to  treat  the  books  of  the  Bible  that  they  come  to  the  men  of  to-day 
with  \-ital  power.  The  introductions  to  these  two  epistles  are  marvels  of  com- 
pactness ;  yet  all  that  is  necessary  to  those  for  whom  this  series  is  intended  for 
an  imderstanding  of  these  letters  will  be  found  here."  —  Boston  Transcript. 


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The  Bible  for  Home  and  School 

VOLUMES   NOW  READY  —  Continued 

Isaiah 

By  JOHN  E.  McFADYEN,  Professor  of  Old  Testament  Literature  and 
Exegesis  in  Knox  College,  Toronto. 

Cloth  J  1 60  pages.     $.go  net;  by  mail,  $.g/ 

Judges       By  E.  L.  CURTIS. 

Cloth,  i2mo.    $.75  net;  by  mail,  $.83 

Amos,  Hosea,  and  Micah 

By  JOHN  MERLIN  POWIS  SMITH,  Assistant  Professor  of  Old  Testa- 
ment Language  and  Literature  in  the  University  of  Chicago. 

Cloth,  izmo. 

IN   PREPARATION  —  FOR   PUBLICATION   IN   THE 
NEAR   FUTURE 

I  Samuel 

By  LORIN  W.  BATTEN,  Ph.D.,  Rector  of  St.  Mark's  Church,  New  York, 
Lecturer  on  the  Old  Testament,  General  Theological  Seminary,  Author  of 
"  The  Hebrew  Prophet,"  etc. 

John 

By  SHAILER  MATHEWS,  D.D.,  Dean  of  the  Divinity  School  of  the 
University  of  Chicago  and  Professor  of  Historical  and  Comparative  The- 
ology. 

Romans 

By  EDWARD  I.  BOSWORTH,  Dean  of  the  Oberlin  Theological  Seminary 
and  Professor  of  the  New  Testament  Language  and  Literature. 


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Date  Due 


tttn 


'-9      ' 


